Scientists Proclaim Animal and Human Consciousness the Same

[Ahso!]

A remarkable thing happened at The First Annual Francis Crick Memorial Conference held at the University of Cambridge, July 7 in U.K. A group of prominent neuroscientists signed a proclamation declaring human and animal consciousness alike. Called The Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness, it states:

We declare the following: The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.


Read more: Scientists Proclaim Animal and Human Consciousness the Same | Care2 Causes

[gmc]

I suspect most people would have already come to that conclusion but no doubt the religious lobby will be spitting out their dummies at yet another attack on religion..

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1402977 wrote: I suspect most people would have already come to that conclusion but no doubt the religious lobby will be spitting out their dummies at yet another attack on religion.. I Hey, I went to church today.

[gmc]

oscar;1402979 wrote: I Hey, I went to church today.


There are religious people and there are religious nutters who believe the earth was made in seven days and animals were put here for man to use as he wishes and anyone who does not agree with them is going to hell. I have got in to arguments about this with people who seriously believe that animals are not self aware. If they are not animal welfare is a nonsense. Do animals in a slaughter house realise what is going on? Think about that next time you have a kebab. Some theologians argue that animals do have consciousness but not on a par with man this will have some church authorities mightily upset at the attack on their beliefs - which is how they will see it.

Is it conceivable that god would put animals on the earth and not give them an immortal soul? Have fun with that one. Not being religious I do not claim to have a definitive answer.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1403030 wrote: There are religious people and there are religious nutters who believe the earth was made in seven days and animals were put here for man to use as he wishes and anyone who does not agree with them is going to hell. I have got in to arguments about this with people who seriously believe that animals are not self aware. If they are not animal welfare is a nonsense. Do animals in a slaughter house realise what is going on? Think about that next time you have a kebab. Some theologians argue that animals do have consciousness but not on a par with man this will have some church authorities mightily upset at the attack on their beliefs - which is how they will see it.

Is it conceivable that god would put animals on the earth and not give them an immortal soul? Have fun with that one. Not being religious I do not claim to have a definitive answer.
I have to be honest and say I went to this church this morning more In a child minding capacity for my Phillipeno neighbours . I kept the children amused while they got on with the serious business. I did enjoy It though. It was a lovely family atmosphere with a full house.... even joined In a bit of singing.

[Clodhopper]

The amazing thing to me is that we are now at the point where we can produce pictures and charts of something as nebulous as consciousness - that we have a scientific definition which we can apply and measure and say, this creature has it. That does not. Here are the graphs that prove it.

It's Life, Jim. But not as we knew it.

[LarsMac]

My dog has known that for ever. Though I am sure she wonders just how smart we really are, sometimes.