Consciousness and the Universe
FYSEMR 54M
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
What is consciousness, and why does it exist at all? Could your subjective experience be as fundamental to the universe as space, time, and energy? And if so, how would we even begin to test that idea?
In this seminar, we’ll engage directly with big, unresolved questions while learning how to identify and challenge assumptions in order to think at and beyond the boundaries of what is currently known. Rather than working through settled material, you’ll step into an active exploratory landscape where your own experiences and perspectives are essential. We will begin by asking what consciousness is and why it has resisted explanation within traditional scientific frameworks, a challenge referred to as the “Hard Problem of Consciousness.”
From there, we will investigate how this problem intersects with modern astrophysics and cosmology, opening the possibility that understanding consciousness may reshape how we think about the universe as a whole, including our place in it. Along the way, we will examine the philosophical foundations of science, the limits of objective measurement, and the tension between models of reality and lived experience. By the end of the seminar, you will not only understand the current landscape of ideas, but also develop your own exploratory tool set for one of the deepest mysteries in science.
NOTE: The seminar welcomes students who are curious and open to learning new things. It is not restricted to students who have a strong scientific or mathematics background.
Class Notes
First-Year Seminars are available only to first-year students. You may apply to both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 First-Year Seminars via the FYS lottery between July 6 and August 6, 2026 at 11:59PM-midnight.
You may apply to as many seminars each term as you would like, but we recommend you apply to at least six in fall and three in spring.
As part of your application, you must provide a brief statement on why you are interested in each seminar. You will be notified of lottery results for both fall and spring seminars at 5 pm on August 11. If you are unsuccessful in the lottery, you may still join any seminar with open seats. A list of open seminars and instructions on next steps will be available on the First-Year Seminar Program website August 11 at 12 Noon.
Not Available for Cross Registration
