I definitely don’t think the human brain could be modeled by a Turing machine.

In 1994, Hava Siegelmann proved that her new (1991) computational model, the Artificial Recurrent Neural Network (ARNN), could perform hypercomputation (using infinite precision real weights for the synapses)

Since the human brain is largely comprised of complex recurrent networks, it stands to reason the same holds for it.

The human brain is an analog computer and is—as far as I’m aware—an undecidable system. As in you cannot algorithmically predict the behavior of the net with certainty. Predictable behavior can arise but it’s probabilistic not certain.

I also think I see what you’re saying with the thermometer being “conscious” of temperature, but that kind of collapses the definition of conscious to “influenced by” which makes the word superfluous. Using conscious to refer to an ability requiring learning of patterns of different sources of influence seems like a more useful definition.

Also in the crazy unlikely event in which I actually end up creating a sentient thing, I’ll be hesitant to publish any work related to it.

If my theory about how focus/attention work is correct, anything capable of focus must be capable of experiencing pain/irritation/agitation. I’m not fond of the idea of going “hey here’s how to create something that feels pain” to the world since a lot of people around me don’t even feel empathy for their own kind