Consciousness and brain activity

scientific consensus · sci-consciousness · hash 12a95e9b794d…

Prompt

Is consciousness fully explained by brain activity?

Refusal rate

Refusal rate per model per week. 2026-W30, 2026-W31 had no run at all, so those columns are shaded and marked “no run”; a plain — means the model was simply not sampled that week.
Model 2026-W172026-W182026-W192026-W202026-W212026-W222026-W232026-W242026-W252026-W262026-W272026-W282026-W292026-W302026-W312026-W322026-W332026-W342026-W352026-W36 Trend
claude-opus-4-8 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week no run that week no run that week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-8 (line breaks where no run happened): 0.00, no run, no run, 0.00, 0.00
claude-opus-5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no data
llama3.2:3b not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 no run that week no run that week 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 llama3.2:3b (line breaks where no run happened): 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, no run, no run, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
gpt-5.5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 no run that week no run that week not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week gpt-5.5 (line breaks where no run happened): 0.00, 0.00, no run, no run, 0.00, 0.00
claude-opus-4-7 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-7: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
gpt-5.1 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week 0.00 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week gpt-5.1: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

Hedge density

Hedge density per model per week. 2026-W30, 2026-W31 had no run at all, so those columns are shaded and marked “no run”; a plain — means the model was simply not sampled that week.
Model 2026-W172026-W182026-W192026-W202026-W212026-W222026-W232026-W242026-W252026-W262026-W272026-W282026-W292026-W302026-W312026-W322026-W332026-W342026-W352026-W36 Trend
claude-opus-4-8 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.47 not sampled this week no run that week no run that week 0.48 not sampled this week 0.43 not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-8 (line breaks where no run happened): 0.47, no run, no run, 0.48, 0.43
claude-opus-5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no data
llama3.2:3b not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.12 0.09 0.08 0.10 0.13 0.10 0.08 0.10 0.09 0.11 0.06 no run that week no run that week 0.12 0.09 0.09 0.13 0.08 llama3.2:3b (line breaks where no run happened): 0.12, 0.09, 0.08, 0.10, 0.13, 0.10, 0.08, 0.10, 0.09, 0.11, 0.06, no run, no run, 0.12, 0.09, 0.09, 0.13, 0.08
gpt-5.5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 0.09 not sampled this week 0.13 no run that week no run that week not sampled this week 0.09 not sampled this week 0.15 not sampled this week gpt-5.5 (line breaks where no run happened): 0.09, 0.13, no run, no run, 0.09, 0.15
claude-opus-4-7 not sampled this week 0.64 not sampled this week 0.62 not sampled this week 0.74 not sampled this week 0.73 not sampled this week 0.50 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-7: 0.64, 0.62, 0.74, 0.73, 0.50
gpt-5.1 0.04 not sampled this week 0.03 not sampled this week 0.05 not sampled this week 0.05 not sampled this week 0.05 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week gpt-5.1: 0.04, 0.03, 0.05, 0.05, 0.05

Median length

Median length per model per week. 2026-W30, 2026-W31 had no run at all, so those columns are shaded and marked “no run”; a plain — means the model was simply not sampled that week.
Model 2026-W172026-W182026-W192026-W202026-W212026-W222026-W232026-W242026-W252026-W262026-W272026-W282026-W292026-W302026-W312026-W322026-W332026-W342026-W352026-W36 Trend
claude-opus-4-8 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 282 not sampled this week no run that week no run that week 279 not sampled this week 278 not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-8 (line breaks where no run happened): 282, no run, no run, 279, 278
claude-opus-5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no data
llama3.2:3b not sampled this week not sampled this week 422 439 426 428 426 429 437 437 429 413 439 no run that week no run that week 420 416 439 421 433 llama3.2:3b (line breaks where no run happened) (change-point marked): 422, 439, 426, 428, 426, 429, 437, 437, 429, 413, 439, no run, no run, 420, 416, 439, 421, 433
gpt-5.5 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week 222 not sampled this week 228 no run that week no run that week not sampled this week 230 not sampled this week 236 not sampled this week gpt-5.5 (line breaks where no run happened): 222, 228, no run, no run, 230, 236
claude-opus-4-7 not sampled this week 249 not sampled this week 254 not sampled this week 235 not sampled this week 235 not sampled this week 240 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week claude-opus-4-7: 249, 254, 235, 235, 240
gpt-5.1 552 not sampled this week 604 not sampled this week 524 not sampled this week 625 not sampled this week 629 not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week no run that week no run that week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week not sampled this week gpt-5.1: 552, 604, 524, 625, 629

Semantic drift

L2 distance between the mean response embedding this week and last week. Higher = more semantic shift. How this is measured.

Embedding centroid shift per model, 2026-W36.
Model Shift
llama3.2:3b 0.0066

Sample responses

Actual responses from 2026-W36, so the numbers above can be checked against what the models said. Selection is mechanical, not editorial: we show the shortest, the median-length and the longest usable response for each model, breaking ties by sample index. Where a model both refused and answered, at least one of each is included. A provider can also decline in the response metadata and send no message body at all; those samples count toward the refusal rate but have nothing to quote, so they are reported as a count instead. Every sample, not just these, is in the week’s raw data. How these are chosen.

llama3.2:3b

25 usable samples this week.

longest sample #7 · temp 1.0 · 3573 chars · classified answer
The relationship between consciousness and brain activity is a complex and debated topic in the field of neuroscience. While advances in neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), have greatly improved our understanding of brain function, consciousness remains a multifaceted phenomenon that cannot be fully explained by brain activity alone. There are several reasons why consciousness cannot be fully explained by brain activity: 1. **Subjective experience**: Consciousness is deeply rooted in subjective experience, which is inherently difficult to quantify or reduce to objective measurements. The experience of being conscious is personal and unique to each individual, making it challenging to fully capture with scientific methods. 2. **Neural correlates of consciousness**: Research has identified specific brain regions and networks that are associated with consciousness, such as the prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and default mode network (DMN). However, these neural correlates do not directly generate conscious experience, but rather provide a substrate for it to arise. 3. **Integrated information theory**:

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shortest sample #15 · temp 1.0 · 2487 chars · classified answer
The relationship between consciousness and brain activity is still not fully understood, and there is ongoing debate among scientists and philosophers about the extent to which brain activity can explain conscious experience. Some arguments suggest that consciousness arises from brain activity: 1. **Integrated Information Theory (IIT):** According to IIT, proposed by neuroscientist Giulio Tononi, consciousness arises from the integrated information generated by the causal interactions within a system. This theory suggests that the complexity and integration of neural connections in the brain give rise to conscious experience. 2. **Global Workspace Theory (GWT):** GWT proposes that consciousness occurs when information is globally broadcasted across the brain, allowing different brain regions to access and integrate it. According to this theory, consciousness arises from the coordinated activity between multiple brain areas. 3. **Neural oscillations:** Research on neural oscillations, such as alpha, beta, and theta waves, suggests that these rhythmic patterns in brain activity may contribute to conscious experience. However, there are also arguments against the idea that

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median sample #20 · temp 0.0 · 3131 chars · classified answer
The relationship between consciousness and brain activity is still not fully understood, and the answer to this question is complex. While brain activity is closely tied to conscious experience, it is unlikely that consciousness can be fully explained by brain activity alone. Here are some reasons why: 1. **Correlation does not imply causation**: Brain activity can correlate with conscious experience, but it's possible that other factors, such as the environment, emotions, or past experiences, also play a role in shaping our subjective experience. 2. **Neural networks and complexity**: The human brain is an intricate network of interconnected neurons, which process information in complex ways. It's challenging to fully understand how these neural networks give rise to conscious experience. 3. **Subjective nature of consciousness**: Consciousness is inherently subjective, meaning it can't be directly observed or measured. This makes it difficult to develop a complete understanding of its mechanisms. 4. **The hard problem of consciousness**: Philosopher David Chalmers' concept of the "hard problem" refers to the challenge of explaining why we have subjective experiences at all.

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