It's a confusion of the algorithm that the brain implements with the algorithm that implements the brain.

Penrose fills in the gaps with quantum woo. He's much beloved by people who can't quite bring themselves to quote Deepak Chopra.

Thank you for the straight-shot no-nonsense clarification. :)

I would not discount Penrose with the ease the GP does. These themes are quite philosophical, therefore all sides are making some big assumptions. I would read Penrose, Dennett, Chalmers, Tononi, Searle, Putnam and many others. In philosophy the trick is to disagree with everyone.

Agreed. I am very intrigued by Penrose but not convinced. In Scott Aaronson's online lectures for Quantum Computing since Democritus he is pretty dismissive of Penrose, but in the book he asks why a renowned Oxford scholar would insist on such a position, and that's a good question! In these arguments people are too willing to clamp shut their opinion and shut down wonder.