Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal This Physicist Has A "Relativistic Theory of Consciousness"
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Mar 5, 2026 Nir Lahav, a physicist proposing a Relativistic Theory of Consciousness, argues consciousness is a frame-relative physical property emerging from internal simulations. He discusses why the hard problem arises, how relativity and relationalism reframe subjectivity, the role of affective valence as the seed of 'what it is like', and implications for split-brain cases, simulations, and AI.
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Apply Relationalism To Make Properties Observer Dependent
- Lahav uses the principle of relativity and relationalism to reframe properties as observer-dependent manifestations.
- He argues frames (observers) and measured relations define which physical properties appear, not absolute entities.
Cognitive Frames Make Subjective Perspectives Physical
- Define cognitive frames of reference: any causal system that learns, represents, and outputs is an observer.
- Different cognitive frames measure different relations, so they can manifest distinct physical properties including phenomenology.
Emergence Is Frame Relative Not Illusory
- Emergence itself is relativistic: micro and macro frames manifest different ontologies like molecules versus water.
- What counts as 'real' depends on the causal closure and measurements available to that frame.
