Mindful universe. Quantum mechanics and the participating observer
The American physicist Henry Stapp, well known for his work on the foundations of quantum mechanics, is the author of the philosophical essay collection titled ``Mind, matter, and quantum mechanics'' [Berlin: Springer (1993; Zbl 0894.00006)], in which he basically argued that quantum mechanics, in its right setting, could help solve the long-standing problem of determining the place of mind in the realm of physics. This is related to the famous quantum mind hypothesis (or quantum consciousness hypothesis) proposing that certain quantum mechanical phenomena play an important role in the function of the brain, thereby serving as the basis of an explanation of consciousnes. The book under review, the first edition of which appeared in 2007, is also concerned with the so-called quantum mind-body problem, which already the founders of quantum mechanics including E. Schrödinger, W. Heisenberg, W. Pauli, N. Bohr, E. Wigner, and others have discussed in the past. Along this line, the author offers wide-ranging ideas and proposals, where the aim of this book is to explain to educated lay readers various twentieth century developments in science from the viewpoint of both a quantum physicist and a philosopher, and to touch upon the social consequences of some (alleged) misrepresentations of contemporary scientific knowledge that continue to hold sway. As for the contents of the current edition, the book consists of eighteen essays and seven appendices, the headings of which read as follows: (1) Science, consciousness, and human values; (2) Human knowledge as the foundation of science; (3) Actions, knowledge, and information; (4) Nerve terminals and the need to use quantum theory; (5) Templates for action; (6) The physical effectiveness of conscious will and the quantum Zeno effect; (7) Support from contemporary psychology; (8) Applications to neuropsychology; (9) Roger Penrose's theory and quantum decoherenee; (10) Non-orthodox versions of quantum theory; (11) The basis problem in many-worlds theories; (12) Despised dualism; (13) Whiteheadian quantum ontology; (14) An interview from 2006; (15) Conciousness and the anthropic questions; (16) Impact of quantum mechanics on human values;(17) Placebo: a clinically significant quant effect; (18) Science-based discussion of free will; (A) Gazzaniga's ``The Ethical Brain''; (B) Von Neumann: knowledge, information, and entropy; (C) Wigner's friend and consciousness in quantum theory; (D) Orthodox interpretation and the mind-brain connection; (E) Locality in physics; (F) Einstein locality and spooky action at a distance; (G) Nonlocality in the quantum world. All in all, the author's visionary ideas, original proposals and explanations, his speculations, and his wide spectrum of knowledge as displayed in the present book, make this collection of essays a highly captivating, inspiring and educating read.
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5844508