• Question: In the future, as we get better at synthesising organisms, or making empathetic robots, we may be challenged harder about what actually counts as "conscious". Even now, can we say with confidence which animals are "conscious"? Is your dog conscious? And what happens to our consciousness if we get progressive Alzheimer's, or if we become psychotic?

    Asked by vickyhasfacialhair to Indi, Jarv, John, Ken, Vicky on 12 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Vicky Young

      Vicky Young answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      I think that depends hugely on your definition of consciousness. Does it just mean that you are aware of your surroundings, and that you react and interact with them dependent on the situation? In which case, you could already argue that robot are conscious, albeit it in a limited and programmed way.

      You are right – this is a key question that will receive more and more debate in the future and definitions may need to be changed.

      By the way – awesome user name

    • Photo: Indi Ghangrekar

      Indi Ghangrekar answered on 12 Mar 2012:

      That’s a really interesting question and will definitely be discussed more in the future! I agree with Vicky about the definition of consciousness.

      Would you say that a plant has consciousness? If you cut a part of the plant, there is release of hormones and the plant repairs it; if you take a houseplant and turn it so that its leave face away from the sun, it changes its growth and makes it stems and leaves grow facing the light. Is that consciousness?

      So can bacteria – they can detect chemicals around them and communicate with each other about it – like some bioluminescent bacteria that give off light when their population is large enough to stimulate that communication (I was involved with a really cool arts project with them). But it’s unlikely that many people would classify plants or bacteria as conscious.

      What would be your definition of consciousness?

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