Consciousness

Christof Koch, geb. 1956 im amerikanischen Mittleren Westen geboren, wuchs auf in Holland, Deutschland, Kanada und Marokko, wo er im Jahre 1974 am Lycée Descartes mit dem Baccalaureat abschloss. Er studierte Physik und Philosophie an der Universität Tübingen und erhielt seinen Doktor in Biophysik im Jahre 1982 am Max-Planck-Institut für Biologische Kybernetik. Nach seiner Postdoktorandenzeit nahm Koch 1986 einen Ruf ans California Institute of Technology in Pasadena an und ist heute zudem Chief Scientific Officer am Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. Von 1989 bis zu dessen Tod im Jahre 2004 arbeitete er mit Francis Crick an den neurobiologischen Grundlagen des Bewusstseins. Der begeisterte Läufer und Kletterer ist Verfasser von über 300 wissenschaftlichen Veröffentlichungen sowie mehreren Büchern über Biophysik und Computer, die neurowissenschaftliche Grundlage der visuellen Wahrnehmung, Aufmerksamkeit und Bewusstsein.

"Koch weaves a vivid and poignant story, punctuated by fascinating characters and compelling science. The book will leave you with a small piece of Koch's own consciousness, plucked from his head and delivered into yours." -- Science News "...[D]efinitely worth reading...I argued with Koch all the way through this book. And I loved every minute of it." -- Robert Stickgold, Nature "Pioneering consciousness studies requires a nimbly multiprocessing mind. That Koch possesses one is apparent."- Chronicle of Higher Education "Among the plethora of books on consciousness, this engaging blend of science, autobiography and honest self-reflection stands out. It combines a lucid description of the leading edge of consciousness science with a surprisingly personal and philosophical reflection of the author's life as one of its foremost authorities, shedding light on how scientists really think. Science writing at its best."-Anil Seth, Times Higher Education "...[T]he book offers good rides through the wild forest of the neuroscience of consciousness. Koch is fearless, and does not shrink from talking about phenomenology and qualia; he includes them and tries to formalise consciousness by linking it to direct brain signals or well-defined psychological constructs."--Tristan Bekinschtein, Times Higher Education "This new volume is attractive not only for the breadth and depth that is typical of Koch's writing, but also for its highly accessible nature...This important book serves as a subtle introduction to many of the driving questions of the discipline that may well significantly change people's understanding of human nature." -- H. Storl, Choice