Where is it? Can it be measured? Replicated? Created? Marcus du Sautoy puzzles the problem of consciousness.
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe

Brain imagining techniques have shown that our minds work differently when we're asleep compared to when we're awake, conscious vs unconscious. Integrated information theory attempts to measure how conscious a system is using mathematical formulae. Could maths answer the question about what consciousness is or do we need to look to philosophy?

This animation was produced by Diana Gradinaru, our 201819 animatorinresidence, supported by the Sfumato Foundation and was inspired by Marcus du Sautoy's book "What We Cannot Know".

The Ri is on Patreon:   / theroyalinstitution  
and Twitter:   / ri_science  
and Facebook:   / royalinstitution  
and Tumblr:   / riscience  
Our editorial policy: http://www.rigb.org/home/editorialpo...
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter