Does it matter? As far as I know, we don't know yet what level we need to simulate at to simulate consciousness. If it's at the molecular level and we achieve that, who cares about the atomic level.
It likely relies on subatomic phenomena. The stochasticity of microtubules, which certainly store state information (as do most components in the entire cell) derives from quantum mechanical phenomena. In any case, unraveling the molecular level details of the cell is the most astoundingly complex problem humanity has yet faced.
We can't even model bacterial state (regulation, etc.) right now. I strongly feel that we won't be solving this problem within our lifetimes. Probably not even in a hundred years.
Maybe, but do we know if this stochasticity is fundamental to our consciousness? It may work just as well if we use random values from a lava lamp. (I don't know, I'm just speculating).
I think we will solve it in the next 20 years or so, certainly while I'm alive (I'm 30). Like I mentioned in another post, it's a great time to be alive.
