Scientists Say the Brain’s Strange Computing Style Could Explain Consciousness

Scientists continue to debate how consciousness arises in the brain. New research suggests the answer may lie in how brains physically compute. Unlike computers, brains do not run code or programs. Instead, consciousness may emerge from biological processes shaped by energy, structure, and time.

Traditional Views Fall Short

Many theories treat the brain like a computer running software. This idea assumes thinking works the same on any physical system. However, biology plays a deeper role than once believed. As a result, this comparison often fails to explain real brain behavior. Another view claims consciousness depends entirely on living tissue. While useful, that idea also leaves gaps in understanding. Researchers now propose a third approach called biological computationalism. This view argues that standard computing models do not match real brains. Brains do not separate software from hardware. Instead, physical structure and computation work together at every level. Therefore, understanding consciousness requires expanding what “computation” actually means.

How the Brain Really Computes

First, brain computation is hybrid. It combines discrete events, like neural firing, with continuous physical processes. Second, it works across many scales at once. Changes at small levels affect whole-brain activity. Third, energy limits shape how the brain functions. As a result, efficiency drives learning, memory, and coordination. Together, these features form a unique computing system. In this system, the physical brain is the algorithm.

This Means for Artificial Intelligence

Modern AI systems process information digitally. However, they simulate brain functions rather than replicate brain computation. Brains compute in real time using physical dynamics. These processes support flexibility, resilience, and adaptation. This does not mean only biological systems can think. Instead, conscious systems may need brain-like computational structures. If computation and physics cannot separate, building conscious machines may require new designs. Simply scaling algorithms may not be enough. Future systems may need hybrid, energy-aware structures. In the end, consciousness may depend on the system itself, not just the code.