
New Hypothesis Explains Why We Sleep
During sleep, the brain weakens the connections among nerve cells, apparently conserving energy and, paradoxically, aiding memory

New Hypothesis Explains Why We Sleep
During sleep, the brain weakens the connections among nerve cells, apparently conserving energy and, paradoxically, aiding memory

What Is the Fundamental Nature of Consciousness? [Excerpt]
Neuroscientist Giulio Tononi's PHI: A Voyage from the Brain to the Soul takes the reader on an imaginative tour in which Galileo tries to discover an explanation for our conscious selves

Are Sleepwalking Killers Conscious?
Some people commit violent acts while asleep. In seeking to understand their brain states, scientists and physicians are investigating the murky borders of consciousness

Testing for Consciousness in Machines
Asking people and computers what's wrong with manipulated photos may tell if there is "anybody home"

How Simple Photos Could Be Used as a Test for a Conscious Machine [Contest]
Join Scientific American's contest to show why conscious humans best unconscious computers and win a recently authored book by renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch

A Test for Consciousness
How will we know when we've built a sentient computer? By making it solve a simple puzzle