It is Friday night in New York City. Nearly a thousand people are packed into a theatre, eyes glued to the stage, the atmosphere electric. The crowd isn’t gathered here for a stand-up comedian or musician – instead they are waiting for an answer.
That is because 25 years ago, on 20 June 1998, a neuroscientist and a philosopher made a bet. Christof Koch, now at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, wagered that scientists would have discovered the …