Sizing Up Consciousness: Towards an Objective Measure of the Capacity for Experience (PDF)

Whilst our knowledge of brain function has improved over the last decades, there remains a gap in our knowledge of consciousness. Why is the brain associated with consciousness, but not the liver or the heart, as previous cultures believed? Why does consciousness fade during deep sleep while the cerebral cortex remains active? Can computers be conscious?

Using a framework – the Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness (IIT) – Sizing up Consciousness explains and measures consciousness. IIT clarifies what consciousness is, how it can be generated from a physical system, and how it can be measured. More importantly, this book shows how conscious states can be expressed mathematically and how precise predictions can be made using data from neurophysiological studies.

Sizing up Consciousness is a short, accessible book which outlines not only this theory but also its applications, including measuring consciousness in those within a coma or vegetative state. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in consciousness.