Is Mind Just a Computation?
Product details
- ISBN 9781041027881
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 08 Jul 2026
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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In an era dominated by Artificial Intelligence, the question of whether machines can truly think has never been more pressing. This book takes readers on a rigorous yet accessible journey through Computer Science, Physics, and Mathematics to tackle two questions:
1. Can a computer program be sentient?
2. Is the human mind reducible to computation?
The author introduces essential concepts in an entertaining style, guiding readers through this exciting topic. The book even includes source code that allows readers to test and verify key arguments themselves.
This book is for anyone intrigued by the nature of mind and machine: from curious lay readers to philosophers, computer scientists, and AI enthusiasts. It serves as an engaging introduction for beginners while offering fresh perspectives for experts. It will also be of interest to senior undergraduate and graduate students, where it can be used as supplementary material in courses on Computer Science, AI, and Philosophy of Mind.
Key Features
- Offers a rigorous, verifiable argument grounded in mainstream science, with no speculative physics.
- Includes real source code and challenges for readers to explore and validate concepts hands-on.
- Combines Computer Science, Physics, and Philosophy of Mind in a way that is both educational and thought-provoking.
Dr. Cristi Stoica researches Theoretical Physics at the Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Romania. He is interested in foundational questions about the universe, preferring whenever possible geometric and group-theoretic approaches. His research areas include General Relativity, in particular black hole and Big Bang singularities, foundations of Quantum Mechanics, and the Standard Model of particle physics. Before, he taught mathematics and most of the time developed advanced algorithms of computational geometry for the private sector. All this time, he was preoccupied by questions about the nature of consciousness and how it fits in the rigid structure of the physical laws. His essays on physics received several prizes from the Foundational Questions Institute. This book is the result of combining his passions for the applications of symmetries in physics, Computer Science, mathematics, teaching, and understanding the place of consciousness in the physical world.
