Radiant Cool: A Novel Theory of Consciousness (A Bradford Book)

Professor Grue is dead (or is he?). When graduate student/sleuth Miranda Sharpe discovers him slumped over his keyboard, she does the sensible thing--she grabs her dissertation and runs. Little does she suspect that soon she will be probing the heart of two mysteries, trying to discover what happened to Max Grue, and trying to solve the profound neurophilosophical problem of consciousness. Radiant Cool may be the first novel of ideas that actually breaks new theoretical ground, as Dan Lloyd uses a neo-noir (neuro-noir?), hard-boiled framework to propose a new theory of consciousness.In the course of her sleuthing, Miranda encounters characters who share her urgency to get to the bottom of the mystery of consciousness, although not always with the most innocent motives. Who holds the key to Max Grue's ultimate vision? Is it the computer-inspired pop psychologist talk-show host? The video-gaming geek with a passion for artificial neural networks? The Russian multi-dimensional data detective, or the sophisticated neuroscientist with the big book contract? Ultimately Miranda teams up with the author's fictional alter ego, "Dan Lloyd," and together they build on the phenomenological theories of philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) to construct testable hypotheses about the implementation of consciousness in the brain. Will the clues of phenomenology and neuroscience converge in time to avert a catastrophe? (The dramatic ending cannot be revealed here.) Outside the fictional world of the novel, Dan Lloyd (the author) appends a lengthy afterword, explaining the proposed theory of consciousness in more scholarly form.Radiant Cool is a real metaphysical thriller--based in current philosophy of mind--and a genuine scientific detective story--revealing a new interpretation of functional brain imaging. With its ingenious plot and its novel theory, Radiant Cool will be enjoyed in the classroom and the study for its entertaining presentation of phenomenology, neural networks, and brain imaging; but, most importantly, it will find its place as a groundbreaking theory of consciousness. An innovative theory of consciousness, drawing on the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl and supported by brain-imaging, presented in the form of a hardboiled detective story.Professor Grue is dead (or is he?). When graduate student/sleuth Miranda Sharpe discovers him slumped over his keyboard, she does the sensible thing—she grabs her dissertation and runs. Little does she suspect that soon she will be probing the heart of two mysteries, trying to discover what happened to Max Grue, and trying to solve the profound neurophilosophical problem of consciousness. Radiant Cool may be the first novel of ideas that actually breaks new theoretical ground, as Dan Lloyd uses a neo-noir (neuro-noir?), hard-boiled framework to propose a new theory of consciousness.In the course of her sleuthing, Miranda encounters characters who share her urgency to get to the bottom of the mystery of consciousness, although not always with the most innocent motives. Who holds the key to Max Grue's ultimate vision? Is it the computer-inspired pop psychologist talk-show host? The video-gaming geek with a passion for artificial neural networks? The Russian multi-dimensional data detective, or the sophisticated neuroscientist with the big book contract? Ultimately Miranda teams up with the author's fictional alter ego,'Dan Lloyd,'and together they build on the phenomenological theories of philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) to construct testable hypotheses about the implementation of consciousness in the brain. Will the clues of phenomenology and neuroscience converge in time to avert a catastrophe? (The dramatic ending cannot be revealed here.) Outside the fictional world of the novel, Dan Lloyd (the author) appends a lengthy afterword, explaining the proposed theory of consciousness in more scholarly form. Radiant Cool is a real metaphysical thriller—based in current philosophy of mind—and a genuine scientific detective story—revealing a new interpretation of functional brain imaging. With its ingenious plot and its novel theory, Radiant Cool will be enjoyed in the classroom and the study for its entertaining presentation of phenomenology, neural networks, and brain imaging; but, most importantly, it will find its place as a groundbreaking theory of consciousness.

an Innovative Theory Of Consciousness, Drawing On The Phenomenology Of Edmund Husserl And Supported By Brain-imaging, Presented In The Form Of A Hardboiled Detective Story.

publishers Weekly

this Ambitious, Unwieldy Novel Theory By Philosophy Professor Lloyd (simple Minds) Sets Out To Explore Paradigms Of Consciousness While Solving The Murder Of A Stodgy Instructor At Fictional Whaleard University. When Graduate Student Miranda Sharpe Makes An Early Morning Raid On Her Adviser's Office To Take Back Her Dissertation, She Is Horrified To Find Philosophy Professor Maxwell Grue Hunched Over His Desk, Presumably Dead. Later In The Day, His Body Has Disappeared, And Miranda Begins Sherlocking. After The Firewall Protecting The College Computer Network Is Breached And The System Crashes, She Sifts Through Grue's E-mails, Cd-roms And Jargon-laden Virtual World Web Site To Find Clues. A Number Of Suspects Materialize: Radio Psychologist Clare Lucid; A Russian Forensic Exchange Professor; Miranda's Ex-boyfriend; And A Smitten Computer Geek Named Gordon. Even The Author Himself Surfaces To Lend A Hand. Since Everyone Revels In Illustrating Neurophilosophical Theories, By The Time All The Sleuthing Pays Off, The Characters Have Lost Definition And The Narrative Is Tied Up In Knots. Bafflement Continues Into A Stand-alone Part Two As Lloyd Leaves His Primary Story Behind For A More Academic Focus, Expanding On A New Theory Of Consciousness Developed Over The Course Of The Novel. Dry Textbook Language And Graphics That Only Seasoned Scholars Will Fully Comprehend Make Lloyd's Concentrated Exploration Of Cognitive Science A Slog For The Average Mystery Reader. The Theories On Time, Reality And Whole-brain Functionality Are Intriguing, But Lloyd Will Lose All But His Hardest-working Readers By The Time The Sources And Notes Section Is Reached. (dec.) Forecast: Intended As An Original Scientific Document As Well As A Novel, The Book May Fare Better In The Former Category, Though Blurbs From Daniel Dennett And David Lodge Should Catch The Eye Of Campus Browsers. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

"Professor Grue is dead (or is he?). When graduate student/sleuth Miranda Sharpe discovers him slumped over his keyboard, she does the sensible thing - she grabs her dissertation and runs. Little does she suspect that soon she will be probing the heart of two mysteries, trying to discover what happened to Max Grue, and trying to solve the profound neurophilosophical problem of consciousness. Radiant Cool may be the first novel of ideas that actually breaks new theoretical ground, as Dan Lloyd uses a neo-noir (neuro-noir?), hard-boiled framework to propose a new theory of consciousness." Professor grue is dead (or is he?). When greduate student/sleuth Miranda Sharpe discovers him slumped over his keyboard, she does the sensible thing-she grabs her dissertatin and runs. Little does she suspect that soon she will be probing the heart of two mysteries, trying to discover what happened to Max Grue, and trying to slove the profound neurophilosophical problem of consciousness. Professor Grue is dead (or is he?). When greduate student/sleuth Miranda Sharpe discovers him slumped over his keyboard, she does the sensible thing-she grabs her dissertation and runs. Little does she suspect that soon she will be probing the heart of two mysteries, trying to discover what happened to Max Grue, and trying to slove the profound neurophilosophical problem of consciousness