The claim that there is some fundamental relationship between quantum mechanics and the mind is controversial, but it has amongst its defenders a number of notable scientists and philosophers. Some have claimed that a proper understanding of quantum mechanics requires that conscious minds play a fundamental role. Alternatively, some have claimed that classical physics is inadequate for providing an account of the mind, and thus understanding the mind requires that quantum mechanics play a fundamental role. Assessing these claims is far from straightforward partly because there is widespread disagreement about how quantum mechanics should be interpreted, let alone how it should be applied to the mind. In this chapter, we review particular proposals relating quantum mechanics and the mind. First, we investigate proposals claiming that the mind is somehow related to the collapse of quantum mechanical wave functions. Second, we consider variations of the many-worlds interpretation and how they might be relevant to the discussion. Finally, we explore some possible implications for artificial intelligence (AI).
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Glass, D.H., McCartney, M. (2007). Quantum Mechanics, Computers, and the Mind. In: Schuster, A.J. (eds) Intelligent Computing Everywhere. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-943-9_6
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