On 19 August 1874, the Irish physicist John Tyndall—now better known as the co-founder of climate science—spoke to 2,000 people for nearly two hours in Belfast's Ulster Hall. What he said generated ...

During the 20th Annual John Collins Harvey lecture, held Feb. 3 by the Georgetown University Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Fins described the case of a patient in a nonresponsive state, who underwent ...

The science of consciousness has not lived up to expectations. Over the summer, the neuroscientist Christof Koch conceded defeat on his 25-year bet with the philosopher David Chalmers, a lost wager ...

I recently attended the 26th session of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC) conference at New York University and recount in this post some prevailing trends. First, the ...

Consciousness is the ultimate question of existence. Nothing is more essential than our experience. Yet we have no consensus, and perhaps no clue, about what it actually is. The trouble, in part, is ...

The major characteristics of consciousness are alertness and being oriented to place and time. Alertness means that you’re able to respond appropriately to the people and things around you. Being ...