A bold new proposal suggests connecting human brains directly to quantum computers could help unlock the mysteries of consciousness, according to a groundbreaking paper published in Entropy.
The research team, including Hartmut Neven from Google's Quantum AI lab, proposes testing whether consciousness emerges from quantum processes by creating interfaces between human brains and quantum computers. Their hypothesis suggests this connection could expand human conscious experiences in measurable ways.
The concept builds on earlier work by mathematician Roger Penrose, who proposed in 1989 that consciousness involves quantum entanglement within the brain. While initially dismissed, this idea has gained renewed interest as scientists discover how biological structures like microtubules inside neurons could potentially sustain quantum effects.
The researchers theorize that by linking brain activity with qubits (quantum bits) in a quantum computer, they could create an expanded quantum system. This combined system would theoretically enable richer conscious experiences that require more information to describe than normal consciousness.
"If a person could entangle their brain with a quantum computer, they could create an expanded quantum superposition," explains Neven. "This expanded state should result in more complex conscious experiences that need additional bits of information to describe them."
The team calls this the "expansion protocol," suggesting it could potentially extend consciousness across space, time and complexity. Positive results would support the theory that consciousness emerges from quantum phenomena in the brain.
However, the proposal faces major practical hurdles. Creating direct interfaces between brains and quantum computers would require invasive procedures that are currently not feasible. The researchers acknowledge that other approaches to studying consciousness, such as investigating how inert gases affect awareness, may be more practical in the near term.
While highly theoretical, this research opens new possibilities for understanding how consciousness arises in the human brain. As quantum computing technology advances, such tests may eventually become possible, potentially revolutionizing our knowledge of human consciousness and its fundamental nature.