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Penrose speculated that the brain harbors quantum states that interact with gravitational forces, leading to the phenomenon we recognize as consciousness. Opposing conventional views that equate brain function with classical computing, Penrose argued that consciousness is inherently quantum, akin to Schrödinger's cat being both alive and dead simultaneously until observed.
A Shift in the Scientific Paradigm
While Penrose's theories were primarily relegated to the fringes of scientific inquiry due to a lack of empirical evidence, his ideas experienced a resurgence through contributions from anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff. Hameroff proposed that consciousness arises from quantum processes in microtubules, structures within neurons that can organize into complex crystalline forms.