Anil K Seth Bücher

Anil Seth's groundbreaking theory of consciousness reshapes our understanding of perception and reality, akin to Dawkins' impact on evolutionary biology. With over two decades of research, the renowned neuroscientist presents a radical perspective on what it means to "be you." He explores how billions of neurons in our brains create our conscious experience and why we perceive life in the first person. Seth's work challenges existing notions, providing a fresh lens through which to view self and consciousness. Esteemed figures praise the book as a "brilliant beast" and "hugely important," highlighting its masterful writing and exhilarating insights. Adam Rutherford notes Seth's clarity in tackling one of science's toughest problems, while David Eagleman describes it as beautifully written and deeply insightful. Julian Baggini asserts that if one book on consciousness is to be read, it should be Seth's. The book is lauded as gripping, fascinating, and awe-inspiring, promising to become a seminal text in the field.

Action selection is the task of doing the right thing at the right time. It requires the assessment of available alternatives, executing those most appropriate, and resolving conflicts among competing goals and possibilities. Using advanced computational modelling, this book explores cutting-edge research into action selection in nature from a wide range of disciplines, from neuroscience to behavioural ecology, and even political science. It delivers new insights into both detailed and systems-level attributes of natural intelligence and demonstrates advances in methodological practice. Contributions from leading researchers cover issues including whether biological action selection is optimal, neural substrates for action selection in the vertebrate brain, perceptual selection in decision making, and interactions between group and individual action selection. This first integrated review of action selection in nature contains a balance of review and original research material, consolidating current knowledge into a valuable reference for researchers while illustrating potential paths for future studies.