Beyond Space Time: Donald Hoffman & Rupert Spira

The problem deals with explaining why any physical state is conscious rather than non-conscious. Or how does material existence leads to awareness.

Spira proposes that, consciousness is that through which all experiences is known. This definition aims to invoke more than explain. Following it, it results consciousness transcends all mathematical descriptions, which Hoffman agrees with. 

But even though the proposal seems to be that consciousness is fundamental and we can never get to a math model for it, incomplete explanations may have value.

Most scientists assume time & physical objects are fundamental. And that certain physical objects like brains poses a level of complexity that allows them to get conscious. 

Hoffman beliefs that it's the other way around. That consciousness creates physical systems. And that space-time is dead:

• proved by natural selection: because complex systems hide complexity -> space time is just an abstraction 
• the traditional physics has no operational meaning below the “Planck scale,” roughly 10 at the power of -20 times the size of a proton.