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Exploring Machine Consciousness · Aug 7, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

4. Mark Solms: Engineering Consciousness – Can Robots "Give a Damn?"

In this episode, we ask: if we wanted to construct a conscious mind from scratch, what would we need? That is the question our guest, Professor Mark Solms, addressed in the final chapter of his book The Hidden Spring - a Journey to the Source of Consciousness. Mark is a Professor in Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town, and is president of the South African Psychoanalytical Association. He is also an advisor to PRISM and Conscium. Mark has contributed significantly to our understanding of consciousness through his pioneering research in the field of neuropsychoanalysis, which integrates Freudian theory with findings from contemporary neuroscience.

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In this episode, we ask: if we wanted to construct a conscious mind from scratch, what would we need?  That is the question our guest, Professor Mark Solms, addressed in the final chapter of his book The Hidden Spring - a Journey to the Source of Consciousness. 

Mark is a Professor in Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town, and is president of the South African Psychoanalytical Association. He is also an advisor to PRISM and Conscium.  

Mark has contributed significantly to our understanding of consciousness through his pioneering research in the field of neuropsychoanalysis, which integrates Freudian theory with findings from contemporary neuroscience.

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