Indeed, the most fundamental theory of modern physics -- quantum mechanics -- offers a very interesting alternative picture of physical objects. In quantum mechanics, the behavior of a physical object is related to the experimental arrangement. So the property of quantum objects depends on the observer, at least to a certain degree. It this case, an electron may ``know'' what the observer has decided and, strangely enough, what the observer is about to decide before the decision is really made. In quantum mechanics, mind can be taken as activity of matter without hurting our intuitive understanding of mind, for quantum objects seem to have some mind-like properties.
Another advantage of this account is that it explains why physics and mathematics mesh without resorting to supernatural effect without sacrificing our intuitive freedom of subjective mind. Indeed, since Galileo, mathematics has not only become the lingua franca of physicists, mathematics has also been assumed implicitly by many to be the ultimate ontology of physical reality. Indeed, a modern electrical engineer seems to have few problems in accomplishing her job dealing with, say, satellite telemetry by simply ``deducing'' everything from the four Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism2.7 The cogent relationship between existing theories of physics of this sort, and the relationship's consistency is taken as an evidence that physics and mathematics do go hand in hand.
Interestingly enough, the nature of computation and mathematics show why classical physics cannot offer an adequate account of the solid relation between computation and physics2.8, because classical physics is passive and continuous but mathematics is an active and discrete creative endeavor. In fact, today's computation theory is nothing but discrete mathematics. As far as discreteness is concerned, computation turns out to be an important quantum effect2.9. [19]