Chaucer’s Bookstore will host author Paul Skokowski for a book talk and signing of “Sensing Qualia: Solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness,” 6 p.m. Tuesday July 21 at 3321 State St., Santa Barbara.

Joining Skokowski in conversation is Dr. John Cervantes.

Skokowski’s book offers a new, naturalistic theory of consciousness and sensory experience.

Philosophers of mind and neuroscientists often debate what they call the hard problem of consciousness, that is, how we might account for qualia — our subjective experiences of phenomena like color, taste, pain and smell.

“In ‘Sensing Qualia,’ Skokowski surveys the most influential theories of mind since Descartes in order to establish a new theory he calls sensory naturalism, which recognizes the senses as natural detectors of physical properties in the world,” Chaucer’s said.



Drawing on neuroscience, physics and philosophy, Skokowski provides a naturalistic framework for studying qualia in the physical world and explores the limits of qualia in androids and AI.

The result is a compelling explanation of qualia for anyone curious about the nature of conscious experience in humans and AI.

Skokowski is executive director and cofounder of the Center for the Explanation of Consciousness at Stanford University and a fellow in philosophy at St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He is editor of Information and Mind

“Where is that conscious you in the brain? Philosophers and scientists have tripped over each other for millennia trying to capture the idea of you in tractable terms,” said Michael S. Gazzaniga of UC Santa Barbara.

“I highly recommend Skokowski’s wonderfully lucid yet detailed account of this debate,” said Michael S. Gazzaniga, UC Santa Barbara,” he said.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 




 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
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