$249.99
Examine one of the greatest philosophical and scientific mysteries of all time: consciousness. Explore the history and philosophy of the idea, and the reasons that many have considered consciousness to be beyond human understanding.
For more than 2000 years, great minds have struggled to understand consciousness. We’re finally inching towards an explanation, which makes this the perfect time to take this neuroscience course focusing on the world’s deepest mystery: exactly how can the human brain conjure up our unique subjective experiences?
During this online course you will learn about the deep history of research into consciousness and unconsciousness, and see how philosophers such as Rene Descartes posed questions that are still taxing cognitive scientists today. You’ll also learn how the modern tools of neuroscience are bringing us closer than ever before to understanding the neural basis of consciousness.
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the science fanatics in your life, New Scientist Academy has got you covered. Our courses are available to purchase in our online store. Complete your transaction and you’ll be sent a code which you can gift as and when the time is right.
This course is for anyone who has ever wondered why and how we are conscious, and who is eager to know about the ingenious experiments that are bringing scientists closer than ever to answering the mystery.
You may be curious to understand how modern empirical science can study a phenomenon that is so central to our lives but still seems strangely detached from our physical bodies.
Alternatively, you might approach the course from the world of science fiction, with an active interest in whether efforts to understand consciousness will ever result in conscious machines.
Some course participants might also be considering taking a university degree course in neuroscience, philosophy or physics, and want a flavour of how a profound subject like consciousness is relevant to all three academic disciplines.
Professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at University of Sussex, UK
Through his research Anil Seth seeks to understand the biological basis of consciousness by bringing together research across neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, psychology, philosophy and psychiatry. His book Being You: The Inside Story of Your Inner Universe is published in 2021.
Through his research Anil Seth seeks to understand the biological basis of consciousness by bringing together research across neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, psychology, philosophy and psychiatry. His book Being You: The Inside Story of Your Inner Universe is published in 2021.
Professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, UK
Sophie Scott heads the UCL speech communication group, and focuses on how the human brain processes the information in speech and voices. She has published 195 peer reviewed papers and gave the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas lectures in 2017. She co-presented the monthly podcast Neuromantics.
Sleep scientist and professor of psychology at Cardiff University, UK
Penny Lewis has coined the term ‘sleep engineering’ to capture the spirit of her lab’s work. She explores ingenious ways to enhance memory, disarm negative emotions and combat cognitive decline during sleep. She is the author of The Secret World of Sleep, and hosts the Sleep Science Podcast.
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles.
After completing their course, learners will be issued with a digital certificate which they can download and use as evidence of CPD.
Some kind words from our course graduates
I really liked the mix of videos, media, community questions, quiz and further resource points. It was engaging to have different types of media to interact with. It was a good introduction to a subject matter that I don’t know that much about. I’d now be keen to read around the topic.
5 star rating of the Evolution: The Source of Life’s Diversity course.
This fun and accessible course gave me a good base and in certain areas developed knowledge of the brain. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the brain or psychology.
5 star rating of the How your brain works and how to make the most of it
Brilliant: Thoroughly recommend this course.
5 star rating of the How your brain works and how to make the most of it course.
What is consciousness?
Objectives and agenda
I think, therefore I am ?
Getting to grips with consciousness
How has consciousness been defined?
So, what is it?
History and philosophy
Objectives and agenda
A timeline of consciousness
Mental processes and conscious thought
The Hard Problem of Consciousness
The footprints of consciousness
Test your understanding
More to explore
Disorders of consciousness
Objectives and agenda
Islands of consciousness
The mystery of blindsight
The construction of an experience
The brain on consciousness
Test your understanding
Into the twilight zones
Objectives and agenda
The stages of sleep and dreaming
The neural regions of sleep, dreaming and psychedelics
I dream I’m awake
Test your understanding
More to explore
The evolution of consciousness and the emergence of the mind
Objectives and agenda
The 'mirror test'
Are animals conscious?
Five dimensions of animal consciousness
The evolutionary “big bang”
The neural architecture
Do sheep dream of electric androids?
Test your understanding
More to explore
Theories of consciousness
Objectives and agenda
A brief look at the main theories
So what is the most promising theory?
Test your understanding
More to explore
Will we ever have conscious machines?
Objectives and agenda
Paranoid android
Man, or machine
Ethical dilemmas of AI
Programming consciousness
Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Test your understanding
More to explore
Does the study of consciousness require new physics?
Objectives and agenda
Does consciousness require a radical explanation?
Does consciousness make reality?
Why consciousness might create reality
Conclusion
The big consciousness quiz
Speaker profiles
Course glossary
Course feedback
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