Wonderfest: The Physiology of Consciousness

One of the great mysteries of science is how the brain creates conscious experience. Even though neuroanatomy and neuron-control are well understood, and modern tools have revealed many neural circuits, the neuroanatomic center of consciousness remains elusive. We aren’t even really sure how to measure consciousness! If we could build a mathematical model of consciousness, would this help us understand how the brain works its magic? How does an anesthesiologist, who routinely eliminates and then restores consciousness, define and measure the wonder of conscious experience?

Our Wonderfest speaker is Art Wallace, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Anesthesia at UC San Francisco. Dr. Wallace is also Chief of Anesthesia at San Francisco’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center.