Orch OR and the Quantum Biology of Consciousness

The Orch OR theory attributes consciousness to “orchestrated” quantum computations in microtubules inside brain neurons. These terminate by Penrose objective reduction (OR), a process in the fine scale structure of the universe which introduces phenomenal experience and non-computability. Lattice polymers of tubulin proteins, microtubules organize intra-neuronal activities. The Penrose-Hameroff Orch OR theory suggests that microtubules 1) encode memory and process information, 2) orchestrate quantum vibrational superpositions (qubits) of pi electron resonance dipoles within tubulin which unify, entangle and 3) evolve to meet Orch OR threshold for full, rich conscious experience, most likely 4) in dendrites and soma of cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons, and 5) selection of microtubule states which regulate axonal firings and behavior. Penrose has further described 6) retroactivity inherent in OR and Orch OR, which can resolve Libet’s backward time referral, and rescue conscious free will. Orch OR has explanatory power, and is testable and falsifiable.