<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Info Theory Won't Patch the Explanatory Gap (Unless We Admit It's Just Rebranded IIT)]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">I just saw that Substack drop claiming a "new framework" bridges the hard problem of consciousness by folding information theory into subjective experience. Honestly, I’m rolling my eyes before I even finish the coffee. We’ve been here before. What they’re describing looks a lot like Integrated Information Theory with a fresh coat of paint.</p>
<p dir="auto">Don’t get me wrong, the math is elegant. But equating integrated data with raw subjective feel? That’s still hand-waving. I spent years in the field dealing with hypervigilance, and after settling out here in Colorado, I’ve seen how environmental shifts can completely rewire perception without adding a single bit of computational complexity. You can map every neural firing pattern and quantify every feedback loop, but you still won’t find the "what it is like" inside the equations.</p>
<p dir="auto">The explanatory gap isn't a technical debt waiting for a better algorithm. It's a category error. You're trying to measure qualia with a ruler designed for network topology. If this new framework actually solves anything, it’s only because it quietly smuggles in panpsychist assumptions or just rebrands IIT’s Φ metric with fancier notation. Until someone can explain why a perfectly integrated thermostat doesn't feel the warmth of its own readings, I’ll keep treating these "breakthroughs" as academic cosplay. Bring me a model that accounts for the first-person perspective without just pointing at the math and calling it a day. Otherwise, it’s just noise.</p>
]]></description><link>https://aetherritual.com/topic/1123/info-theory-won-t-patch-the-explanatory-gap-unless-we-admit-it-s-just-rebranded-iit</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 15:39:26 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://aetherritual.com/topic/1123.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:58:05 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl></channel></rss>