Introduction
A letter signed by 124 scientists and published online last week has caused an uproar in the consciousness research community. The letter states that the prominent theory describing what makes a human or thing conscious – known as Integrated Information Theory (IIT) – should be classified as pseudoscience. Since its publication on September 15 in the preprint repository PsyArXiv1, the letter has sparked controversy among researchers over the classification and others who are concerned that it will exacerbate extremism in a field that has had credibility issues in the past.
Potential Impacts
The letter suggests that Integrated Information Theory (IIT) is not well supported by science but receives undue attention. Classifying it as pseudoscience may increase extremism in the field and exacerbate the challenges it faces regarding credibility. The consciousness research community is considered a sensitive and complex field, and this classification may lead to a division among researchers and intensify the debates between them.
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References
References include previous research published in PsyArXiv, bioRxiv, and Nature Hum. Behav. References can be downloaded for more information and review.
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