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There are many unsolved mysteries in science & philosophy from quantum to cosmic scales. This blog explores what science can and cannot tell us about these mysteries, a critical first step in being able to objectively consider the nature of life, mind, and our place in the universe.
Physics is Incomplete at Every Scale of the Universe
Physics is incomplete fat every scale of reality. This is true from the quantum scale, to the scale of life and mind, to cosmological scales.

Mike Rowen
Apr 145 min read
Electromagnetic Mind
Reprint of Cellular Mind chapter 5 which makes the case that the electromagnetic force combines and powers increasingly complex forms of matter and mind.

Mike Rowen
Apr 1411 min read
Evolution Does Not Require Natural Selection
A Tufts University experiment on worms directly challenges modern evolution theory.

Mike Rowen
Jan 295 min read
Resolving the Mind Combination Problem with Existing Science
Two thought experiments involving mind as a fundamental property of matter or as a quantum field resolve the combination problem.

Mike Rowen
Jan 2515 min read
Existing Physics Cannot Resolve the Hard Problem of Consciousness
The true scope of the hard problem is not recognized by the scientific and philosophical communities.

Mike Rowen
Jan 184 min read
Alternative RNA Splicing in Evolution
There are 20,000 “genes” but more than 100,000 different proteins. Alternative RNA editing is necessary to form the many different patterns.In the fly, one gene has 38,000 alternative patterns. (picture below)In humans, one gene can have 500 alternative patterns. Alternative RNA splicing in evolution is one of the critical factors in the development of the complexity of human beings Previous posts have shown how the shapes of complex interlocking proteins allow the neuron mac

Jon Lieff
Dec 31, 20239 min read
The Life of A Thought in the Brain
With each mental event, dramatic structural changes occur inside large numbers of neurons, outside of neurons in the extracellular space, at the synapses between neurons and in glial brain cells. Remarkably, these molecular changes occur instantaneously all over the brain in specific circuits using many different mechanisms (some have been described in previous posts). For each different momentary event, the same neuron can be used in completely different circuits. Signals in

Jon Lieff
Aug 25, 20239 min read
How Does Neuroplasticity Work?
A thought ……. Suddenly, new synapses Learning a fact ……. Suddenly, a new brain cell in the hippocampus…. … Axons are built, axons are pruned. How does the brain know how to do this? How does neuroplasticity work? Learning stimulates new brain cells. Mental events instantly affect changes in dendrites and synapses. The brain noticeably changes shape with attention, meditation, exercise, diet, and habits of life.The active brain does much more. It changes its function when it

Jon Lieff
Oct 29, 20229 min read
Virus and Virus Like Particles in Evolution
Only a very small percentage of the world’s microbes have been discovered, and even less of the much more plentiful and diverse viruses. So, it is not surprising that many dramatic new viruses have recently been found that alter our understanding of evolution. The giant Pandora viruses and many new unique ocean phages have brought forth questions about the validity of the current three-limbed diagram of the tree of life (archaea, bacteria, eukarya). With viruses and virus lik

Jon Lieff
Jul 28, 202010 min read
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