McFadden's electromagnetic theory of consciousness may seem far out to some readers. It may well be wrong. But there is one thing I'm certain of: the eventual true explanation of consciousnessness will be astonishing and strange, for if it fit easily with existing knowledge, the mystery would have been solved years ago.
Note: In a response(pdf) to a review of the McFadden book by Matthew Donald(pdf),
McFadden and his collaborator, Jim Al-Khalili, reference the work of the physicist, Eric Heller, who is also known as Rick Heller. I am a different Rick Heller(the two of us are in a constant battle on Google, along with some guy who sells flutes shaped like a duck, to be the Rick Heller ;-: ).
Article comments
1 - Evans
"If there is an observer, perhaps that observer is outside the system, like Bishop Berkeley's God."
I haven't read this book, but I'd like to point out that, if the author is truly invoking the many-world's theory of quantum mechanics, no observer is outside the system, and thus this is not a valid point.
An interesting point is that a DNA molecule can act as it's own observer, as an observer doesn't need to be conscious....