Consciousness science asks what distinguishes information processing that stays 'in the dark' from processing that becomes a unified, reportable experience.
global ignition when sum(active_i * w_ij) > threshold
Φ-proxy ~ integrated activity / partitioned activity
- Cortical nodes — coarse-grained brain regions/columns exchanging signals in the model.
- Connectivity density — how richly cross-connected the network is — a proxy for the brain's actual white-matter wiring.
- Sensory input drive — external stimulation pushing local activity upward.
- Ignition threshold — the integrated-activity level theorized (global workspace / IIT) to be necessary for a percept to become consciously reportable.
Global Workspace Theory and Integrated Information Theory both predict a sharp, almost all-or-nothing transition from unconscious local processing to a broadcast, reportable state — this sim is a toy version of that transition.