Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, UK
4-8 September 2023
A conference on mathematical approaches in the scientific study of consciousness.
Dear friends and colleagues,
The Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science is delighted to announce the fourth Models of Consciousness conference (MoC4), a conference for researchers whose scientific activities relate to mathematical approaches in the scientific study of consciousness. The MoC conference series began at the University of Oxford in 2019 and was held at Stanford University in 2022.
By invitation of the Oxford Mathematics of Consciousness and Applications Network (OMCAN) at Oxford, MoC4 returns to the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, UK, from 4-8 September 2023. The AMCS is delighted to offer an extensive programme of activities to maximize opportunities to advance the scientific goals of the field and to ensure all participants become involved. Participation is by registration only; the link is at the bottom of this page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Oxford!
The MoC4 organising committee.
Conference activities
Invited speakers
| Nobel Laureate, Sir Roger Penrose FRS | Q&A Session: A chaired Q&A session involving both selected questions seen in advance and questions from the audience, on Orch OR and wider topics |
| Marcus Du Sautoy FRS | Special Evening Lecture AI: friend or foe |
| Lenore Blum | A Theoretical Computer Science Perspective on Consciousness and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) |
| Paul Azzopardi | Thresholds, noise and response bias: Insights from blindsight |
| Jan Westerhoff | The Fitness-beats-truth theorem: some philosophical reflections |
| Maja Spener | Are subjective measures of consciousness reliable? |
| Robert Prentner | Mathematizing Phenomenology within a Process Framework |
| Will Zeng | Local Friendliness violations: experimental metaphysics and the nature of the observer |
| Claudia Passos | What Do Theories of Consciousness Predict About the Onset of Infant Consciousness? |
| *50 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions |
Contributed talks
Participants talks
Participants are invited to apply to present their research in a 25-minute talk slot (20 minutes for the talk plus 5 minutes for questions) in-person at Oxford. All presenters will have the option to have their talk filmed; subject to their signed consent. Applicants who are unsuccessful in attracting a 25-minute talk slot will, in most cases, be offered the opportunity to present a 5-minute lightning talk. Talks presenting research where ideas have been translated into the mathematical domain, particularly when there are theoretical or empirical results of formal models or theories to be shared, will have priority. Please see the Applications Page.
Showcase talks
A small number of talk applications may be selected by the organising committee to be “showcase talks” that attract the offer of a 30 or 40-minute talk slot.
Lightning talks
Participants are invited to apply to present a 5-minute lightning talk.
Deadline for all application submissions: 30 June 2023.
Discussion sessions
Following the spirit and tradition of previous MoC meetings, discussion sessions in small groups are an integral part of the conference. These give participants a chance to discuss the latest developments in the field and are intended to help develop a shared sense of purpose and long-term goals among researchers who work on mathematical approaches in the scientific study of consciousness.
Each discussion session will focus on a specific question, related to models of consciousness, the development of Mathematical Consciousness Science, characterization and classification of research projects, and similar topics that focus on bringing greater clarity and transparency to the field. Participants will also be able to suggest and vote on topics using the conference’s Slido web interface.
Social programme
There will be an optional excursion on Monday 4th September before the conference programme starts on Tuesday 5th. The excursion includes a historical walking tour around Oxford followed by punting on the river for walking, relaxing, getting to know each other, renewing acquaintances and discussions. There will also be an optional conference dinner at St John’s College Oxford. Further details on the excursion and dinner are available in the Conference Booklet.
Other information
Conference Videos
The conference videos are available on the conference YouTube channel here.
Conference group photo
Conference Booklet
Covid 19 and travel
Participants attend at their own risk and must ensure they meet requirements for travel.
Important!: Please check Covid requirements for travel to the UK; there are no longer requirements for people coming from most countries but please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Important!: The UK Health and Safety Executive HSE no longer expects businesses to consider COVID-19 in their risk assessment or to have specific measures in place. The conference will not be taking specific measures in regard to Covid 19. However, the venue does provide hand sanitation, and a limited number of face masks may be made available. However, please bring your own face masks if wanting to use them.
Important!: Please ensure you have the required visa in place, if needed, before travelling; see https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
In general, those visiting from abroad are advised to take out medical health insurance when visiting the UK.
Where possible, participants might like to take out travel insurance, and/or check the cancellation terms of their flights, to minimise potential financial loss if unable to attend. In particular, the conference cannot be held liable for any financial loss participants might incur, with the only exception being costs that the conference had offered to pay on participants’ behalf from the outset such as accommodation for invited speakers.
Carbon offsetting
The AMCS constitution includes an environmental policy that commits the association to pay particular attention to how carbon offsetting can be incorporated into plans for international events such as conferences.
Accordingly, the MoC3 registration fee included a flat carbon offsetting charge. A total of €5,700.00 was raised and paid to Atmosfair, a German non-profit organization that actively specialises in CO₂ mitigation by promoting, developing and financing renewable energies in over 15 countries worldwide. Accordingly, the offsetting levy will apply to MoC4 registrations and should only be opted out of in exceptional cases. Many thanks to all those paying the levy.
Registration
Participation in the conference requires registration using the online Registration form. The conference is open to researchers of all disciplines who have an interest in mathematical approaches in the scientific study of consciousness.
Details about accommodation, the venue and the social programme are available on the Participant Information page. Talk applications are via the online Talk Application form.
Deadline for registration: 9 August 2023.
Contact
In case of any question, please do not hesitate to contact us at organisers@models-of-consciousness.org.
Materials
Organising and Supporting Institutions
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Organisers and Advisory Board
| Advisory Board: | Organisers: |
| Ian Durham (Department of Physics, Saint Anselm College, USA) | Johannes Kleiner (Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy and Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Institute for Psychology, University of Bamberg, Germany) |
| Yakov Kremnitzer (Oxford Mathematics of Consciousness and Applications Network, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, UK) | Jonathan Mason (Oxford Mathematics of Consciousness and Applications Network, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, UK) |
| Wanja Wiese (Institute for Philosophy II, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) | |
| Robert Prentner (Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany) | |
| Robin Lorenz (Quantinuum) |