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Insects and Other Animals Have Consciousness, Experts Declare | Quanta Magazine (www.quantamagazine.org)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by paul0207@lemmy.sdf.org to c/science@mander.xyz

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An interesting read. "A group of prominent biologists and philosophers announced a new consensus: There’s “a realistic possibility” that insects, octopuses, crustaceans, fish and other overlooked animals experience consciousness." https://www.quantamagazine.org/insects-and-other-animals-have-consciousness-experts-declare-20240419/

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[–] azi@mander.xyz 1 points 5 months ago

I really don't understand their examples. Like I get self-recognition and memory but what makes play behaviour, curiosity, anxiety-like states, and problem-solving signs of consciousness? These are at the end of the day organisms responding to stimuli, something all organisms by definition do. Is pain response a sign of consciousness but something like phototaxis isn't only because the former is 'complex' and the latter 'simple'?