The Standard Model of Particle Physics plus perturbative general relativity (I wish it was better-known and had a catchier name) appears sufficient to explain everything that happens in the solar system, and has been extremely rigorously tested. It can’t explain everything that happens in the universe—in particular, it can’t make any predictions about microscopic black holes or the big bang, unfortunately. All signs point to some version of string theory eventually filling in those gaps as a true Theory of Everything, although of course one can’t be certain until the physicists actually find the right vacuum for our universe and do all the calculations etc.
I have very high confidence that, when that process is complete, and we understand the fundamental laws of the universe, the laws which hold everywhere with no exceptions, we will have learned nothing whatsoever new or helpful about consciousness. I think fundamental physics is just not going to help us here :)
I completely agree with that. So far we only have speculations towards a TOE (excluding consciousness), and when we have one, there will still be all of the way to go to explain consciousness.
The Standard Model of Particle Physics plus perturbative general relativity (I wish it was better-known and had a catchier name) appears sufficient to explain everything that happens in the solar system, and has been extremely rigorously tested. It can’t explain everything that happens in the universe—in particular, it can’t make any predictions about microscopic black holes or the big bang, unfortunately. All signs point to some version of string theory eventually filling in those gaps as a true Theory of Everything, although of course one can’t be certain until the physicists actually find the right vacuum for our universe and do all the calculations etc.
I have very high confidence that, when that process is complete, and we understand the fundamental laws of the universe, the laws which hold everywhere with no exceptions, we will have learned nothing whatsoever new or helpful about consciousness. I think fundamental physics is just not going to help us here :)
[Sorry if I’m misunderstanding your point.]
I completely agree with that. So far we only have speculations towards a TOE (excluding consciousness), and when we have one, there will still be all of the way to go to explain consciousness.