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A non-critical string (Liouville) approach to brain microtubules: state vector reduction, memory coding and capacity

N. Mavromatos,D. Nanopoulos

Published 1995 in International Journal of Modern Physics B

ABSTRACT

Microtubule (MT) networks, subneural paracrystalline cytoskeletal structures, seem to play a fundamental role in the neurons. The authors cast here the complicated MT dynamics in the form of a (1 + 1)-dimensional noncritical string theory, thus enabling them to provide a consistent quantum treatment of MTs, including environmental friction effects. They suggest, thus, that the MTs are the microsites, in the brain, for the emergence of stable, macroscopic quantum coherent states, identifiable with the preconscious states. Quantum space-time effects, as described by noncritical string theory, trigger than an organized collapse of the coherent states down to a specific or conscious state. The whole process they estimate to take {Omicron}(1 sec), in excellent agreement with a plethora of experimental/observational findings. The microscopic arrow of time, endemic in noncritical string theory, and apparent here in the self-collapse process, provides a satisfactory and simple resolution to the age-old problem of how the, central to one`s feelings of awareness, sensation of the progression of time is generated. In addition, the complete integrability of the stringy model for MT the authors advocate in this work proves sufficient in providing a satisfactory solution to memory coding and capacity. Such features might turn out to be importantmore » for a model of the brain as a quantum computer.« less

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