The Quantum Origin of Life: How the Brain Evolved to Feel Good

摘要: Abstract Conscious behavior serves to optimize feelings, eg, Epicurean delight, “dopaminergic reward,” Freud's “pleasure principle,” spiritual bliss, and altruism (it feels better give than receive). However, Darwinian evolution is viewed as genetic survival, perhaps because science cannot yet account for feelings or consciousness (“qualia,” the “hard problem”). Sir Roger Penrose proposed mental properties including qualia accompany self-collapse of quantum wave function by objective reduction (OR), a threshold in structure spacetime geometry. Such OR would be occurring ubiquitously random environments throughout universe, but noncognitive merely protoconscious. The Penrose-Hameroff Orch theory suggests events cytoskeletal microtubules within brain neurons are organized, orchestrated inputs, memory, vibrational resonances, terminate meaningful conscious moments. Supporting evidence includes (1) anesthetic gases act erase pi resonance channels microtubules, (2) have resonances coupled mechanical vibrations, megahertz. On grand scale, implies life originated, evolved orchestrate pleasurable protoconscious present universe. It suggested here that billions years ago primordial soup, clouds dopamine-like amphipathic molecules coalesced micelle-like precursors biomolecules, organelles, cells. In these (collectively underground), were shielded from random, polar interactions, enabling more intense qualia. Pi stack geometry micelles biomolecules optimized precipitated life. Microtubules, eventually brain, OR-mediated resonance, optimizing pleasure its behavioral pursuits.