Sir Roger Penrose, OM, FRS is an English mathematical physicist and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He is highly regarded for his work in mathematical physics, in particular his contributions to general relativity and cosmology. He has written controversial books on the connection between fundamental physics and human consciousness. In The Emperor's New Mind (1989), he argued that known laws of physics do not constitute a complete system and that human consciousness cannot be explained until a new physical theory (what he terms correct quantum gravity, CQG) has been devised. He argued against the strong AI viewpoint that the rational processes of the human mind are completely algorithmic and can thus be duplicated by a sufficiently complex computer. In 1994, Penrose followed up with Shadows of the Mind and in 1997 with The Large, the Small and the Human Mind, further updating and explaining his controversial theories. His next book, called The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, may be the most complete mathematical explanation of the universe yet published.
Related Links
- Biography of Roger Penrose
- Review of Roger Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind
- Review of Roger Penrose's The Road to Reality
- Roger Penrose lecture: Science and the Mind (audio plus visuals)
- Powells interview with Roger Penrose
- Plus magazine article about Roger Penrose
- ScienceWatch interview with Roger Penrose
Roger Penrose Quotes
Intelligence cannot be present without understanding. No computer has any awareness of what it does.
I like science fiction movies; I think they are useful for giving us ideas.
I'm pretty tenacious when it comes to problems.
My own way of thinking is to ponder long and I hope deeply on problems...which I keep away for years...and I never really let them go.
