Experimental comparison needs a shared defined question, divergent predictions, suitable measurements, and intelligible prior outcomes. Testing particular consequences can constrain theories while leaving other questions unresolved. This article neither claims full reading of COGITATE2025 methods nor selects a final theory.
Questions explored
Is finding brain activity enough to select a theory?
No. Identify the divergent prediction and how the indicator relates to it.
Does the described example establish a final winner?
This article reports a limited mixed outcome from the abstract read; it claims neither complete refutation nor confirmation.
How does the IIT4.0 paper differ from a new human sample?
It is a primary formal theory paper without new primary human data, as stated by its authors.
Key distinctions
Comparison requires divergent observable predictions under specified conditions. (UnitedWisdom: bounded account of the named primary work; reading scope and limits retained in the article.)
GNWT links conscious access to broad information availability; IIT4.0 proposes a cause–effect-structure account. These are theoretical claims. (UnitedWisdom: bounded account of the named primary work; reading scope and limits retained in the article.)
The reported COGITATE 2025 study involved 256 people; findings partly supported and substantially challenged predictions of both theories. (UnitedWisdom: bounded account of the named primary work; reading scope and limits retained in the article.)
Report, measured indicator, and interpretation belong to different steps of examination. (UnitedWisdom: bounded account of the named primary work; reading scope and limits retained in the article.)
A partial test does not establish the final nature of every subjective experience. (UnitedWisdom: bounded account of the named primary work; reading scope and limits retained in the article.)
Limits of interpretation
- Do not present GNWT/IIT claims as a settled unified theory, limited COGITATEabstract reading as full methods assessment, mixed findings as final refutation, or philosophical comparison as experiment. No clinical assessment or diagnosis.
Sources
- Novum Organum, BookI — Francis Bacon
Actual displayedtitle/preface and selectedBookI aphorisms, lines13–160; LXX226–228 read. No fullLatin collation or fullBookII claimed.
Source use: Historical original/1902 edition publicdomain in US; jurisdiction-specific; site apparatus rights not asserted globally
- Experimental and theoretical approaches to conscious processing — Stanislas Dehaene and Jean-Pierre Changeux
ActualPubMedabstract246–249; StanfordPDF selectedintro/vocabulary lines25–63, report130–146, GNW928–953. Not full28pages or underlyingexperiment papers. StanfordPDF URL: https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs379c/resources/inverted/content/Books_and_Journal_Articles_on_Consciousness/Theory_of_Mind_and_Language_Development_Articles/Publications_on_Consciousness_by_Stanislas_Dehaene/DehaeneChangeuxNEURON-11.pdf. GuessedPNAS/Unicogpathsfailed and not adopted.
Source use: Copyright2011Elsevier; specificparaphrase rightsUNKNOWN beyondpublicaccess; no licenceclaim
- Integrated information theory (IIT) 4.0: Formulating the properties of phenomenal existence in physical terms — Larissa Albantakis et al.
Actualselectedpage224–257 and260–300pluslicence237/dataavailability238. Not fullmathematicalderivation or independentvalidation.
Source use: DisplayedCreativeCommonsAttributionlicence
- Adversarial testing of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness — COGITATEConsortium et al.
ActuallyreadPubMedabstract316–327 andselectedcaptionlines338–340,463–467. NaturefullHTML500redirect andPDFfailed; PMCreturnedCAPTCHA; no bypassorfullmethodreadingclaimed. Fullpublishedstudy DOI retainedwithpreciseavailable scope.
Source use: UNKNOWN foradoptedabstract/captions beyondpublicaccess;©2025Authorslabel; noassumedworldwidelicence
- Overview of COGITATE, Experiment1 — COGITATEConsortium
Actuallyopenedpage86lines,selectedObjective19–29 plusoverview headings. Not rawdataanalysis or entire preregistrationreading.
Source use: UNKNOWN exactpagereuse licence;publicaccessnot licence