Tech report on 'Awareness"

[Christof Koch]

The following paper  is available by anyonymous  FTP  from Ohio  State
University from pub/neuroprose. The manuscript, a verbatim copy of the
same named   manuscript  which  appeared   in "Seminars      in    the
Neurosciences", Volume 2, pages 263-273, 1990, is stored in three files
called koch.awareness1.ps.Z, koch.awareness2.ps.Z and koch.awareness3.ps.Z
For instructions on how to get this file, see below.




    TOWARDS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS

                Francis Crick and Christof Koch



Visual awareness   is  a   favorable form of   consciousness  to study
neurobiologically.  We propose that it takes  two  forms: a  very fast
form, linked to iconic memory, that  may be difficult to  study; and a
somewhat slower one  involving visual attention and short-term memory.
In the slower form an attentional mechanism transiently binds together
all those neurons whose activity relates to the relevant features of a
single visual object.   We suggest  that  this is  done by  generating
coherent semi-synchronous oscillations, probably  in the  40 Hz range.
These  oscillations then activate   a  transient short-term  (working)
memory.  We outline  several  lines of  experimental  work  that might
advance the  understanding of the  neural   mechanisms  involved.  The
neural basis    of  very  short-term   memory  especially  needs  more
experimental study.

Key words: consciousness / awareness/ visual attention / 40 Hz
oscillations / short-term memory.


For comments, send e-mail to koch at iago.caltech.edu.

Christof



P.S. And this is how you can FTP and print the file:


              unix> ftp cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu (or 128.146.8.62)
              Name: anonymous
              Password: neuron
              ftp> cd pub/neuroprose (actually, cd neuroprose)
              ftp> binary
              ftp> get koch.awareness1.ps.Z
              ftp> get koch.awareness2.ps.Z
              ftp> get koch.awareness3.ps.Z
              ftp> quit
              unix> uncompress koch.awareness1.ps.Z
              unix> lpr koch.awareness1.ps.Z
              unix> uncompress koch.awareness2.ps.Z
              unix> lpr koch.awareness2.ps.Z

              unix> uncompress koch.awareness3.ps.Z
              unix> lpr koch.awareness3.ps.Z

Done!