From Bernard Baars, The Neurosciences Institute
Susan Blackmore’s article on consciousness misinterprets my work (22 June, p 26). Global workspace theory is not the same as working memory.
Nor is global workspace only a kind of memory. A memory is a place to store things. But a global workspace is more like the stage of a theatre. You could just store things on a stage, but the whole point of a theatre stage is to distribute information to a vast audience of active listeners. In a less obvious way, a stage is also a place for integration of many converging ideas, from the playwright, the dress designer, voice coach and director, in one unitary display. That is the role of the global workspace, to enable the integration and distribution of essential information. This is apparently also a major function of consciousness in the brain.
In contrast, Alan Baddeley’s working memory is a domain of verbal rehearsal and visual planning – to remember a telephone number, for example, or where you parked your car. It has conscious components, but at any time most information in working memory is unconscious.
San Diego, California
