Physical Foundations of Consciousness: Brain Organisation: The Role of Synapses
arXiv Preprint Archive July 13, 2009 Charles Ross, Shirley Redpath
Our brains' 100 billion neurons communicate across tiny gaps called synapses, and their precise spacing may hold the key to consciousness itself. New findings in q-bio.NC reveal that synaptic gaps aren't fixed - they dynamically expand and contract throughout our daily wake-sleep cycle. This physical reorganization appears to act like a master switch, controlling our transitions between conscious and unconscious states.