Monash Lens
Science still can’t explain what in us groans at the alarm clock, why we’re gladdened by a carolling magpie, or like the smell of coffee.
Jakob Hohwy
Professor, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies
This riddle – what is consciousness? – is sometimes called the “hard question”, because despite advances in brain mapping and neuroscience, the nature of consciousness remains a mystery.
“We don’t know how firings of neurons in the brain give rise to our subjective experience of the world,” says philosopher Jakob Hohwy.
“We can imagine a computer that’s wired up just like a brain. We can also easily imagine that computer is not conscious. It’s just the firing of neurons. It’s very hard to make the bridge from firings of neurons, electrical discharges between the cells, and then, what makes you, you.”
University welcomes $10 million gift for Contemplative Studies Centre indiaeducationdiary.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiaeducationdiary.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Starting university can be really stressful at the best of times, but especially when you re facing the uncertainty that comes with a global pandemic.
So founder of online marketplace Redbubble, Martin Hosking, has put $22 million towards new uni courses to help students get through what can be a really tough time.
Earlier this week, Monash University and the University of Melbourne revealed they would open Australia s first centres for contemplative studies, after receiving the donation from Mr Hosking and his wife Loreto Hosking.
The centres will be used to research consciousness as well as contemplative practices like meditation, mindfulness and prayer.