Bernhard Riemann, the Ear, and an Atom of Consciousness

Abstract Why did Bernhard Riemann (1826–1866), arguably the most original mathematician of his generation, spend last year life investigating mechanism hearing? Fighting tuberculosis and hostility eminent scientists such as Hermann Helmholtz, he appeared to forsake mathematics prosecute a case close heart. Only sketchy pages from paper remain, but here we assemble some significant clues triangulate them build broad picture what might have been driving at. Our interpretation is that was committed idealist this philosophical standpoint saw scientific enterprise lame without “poetry hypothesis”. He believed human thought fundamentally dynamics “mind-masses” mind interpenetrated, became part of, microscopic physical domain cochlea. Therefore, full description hearing must necessarily include perceptual dimensions single manifold. The manifold contains all psychophysical aspects hearing, including logarithmic transformations arise Fechner’s law, faithfully preserving subtle qualities sound. For Riemann, unitary mental event, parallels with modern ideas about consciousness quantum biology are made. A unifying mechanical model for an atom consciousness—drawing on Riemann’s mind-masses similar “psychons” proposed by Eccles—is put forward.