Prominent scientists sign declaration that animals have conscious awareness, just like us

[n2doc]

An international group of prominent scientists has signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness in which they are proclaiming their support for the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are — a list of animals that includes all mammals, birds, and even the octopus. But will this make us stop treating these animals in totally inhumane ways?

While it might not sound like much for scientists to declare that many nonhuman animals possess conscious states, it's the open acknowledgement that's the big news here. The body of scientific evidence is increasingly showing that most animals are conscious in the same way that we are, and it's no longer something we can ignore.

What's also very interesting about the declaration is the group's acknowledgement that consciousness can emerge in those animals that are very much unlike humans, including those that evolved along different evolutionary tracks, namely birds and some cephalopods.

"The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states," they write, "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, say the signatories, the scientific evidence is increasingly indicating that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness.

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http://io9.com/5937356/prominent-scientists-sign-declaration-that-animals-have-conscious-awareness-just-like-us

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Makes Sense.

[marew]

2. Having taken in rescues for the last 40 years...

I knew that already. They've given back more than I ever gave them.

[xchrom]

3. As a meat eater - I still have to agree.

My consumption of meat has no bearing on whether I think animals should be regarded and treated humanely - a little irony there - I realize.

[htuttle]

4. My cat agrees

[Merlot]

8. It's not the meat eating that is wrong, it's the inhumane treatment

of the animals. When possible*, people should ensure that the animals they intend to eat were treated humanly. Not only is it better for the animal, it's better for the humans to not ingest drug laden, diseased, ill and stressed out animals.

We are what we eat.

• I understand that no everyone can afford to shop at whole foods or otherwise purchase organic meats.

[htuttle]

5. It has been my experience that animals are FAR more emotional than human beings

The emotional parts of our brain are much older than the 'doing math' parts.

[kestrel91316]

6. Duh. Intentional behaviors abound even in non-mammals.

[limpyhobbler]

7. +1 duh

[Lionessa]

9. Since other predators are not humane to their prey, and in a sense

these are our prey, I'm not sure it's part of the natural world to care too much about the comfort of one's food source.

Furthermore, many within a species are not at all "humane" to each other, have you ever seen how a rooster treats his hens or hens treat each other? Mine were well fed, free range in a fenced 1/2 agree of grasses and more feed stuff, and yet the 5-15 hens and one rooster (who had to go after he had pecked to hens nearly to death having plucked all their feathers trying to catch and mount them) I had over the years could be ruthless to each other if the mood suited them. I've seen similar in other farm species where certain alphas have to be kept separate due to the likelihood of them hurting the youngsters or mothers, etc. So the idea that because they are potentially conscious, doesn't guarantee in any other real world they might exist, anything akin to humane treatment.

All that said, we are humans and should be able to rise above the apparently natural disposition of not caring about our food sources or worse causing them unnecessary discomfort.

[cpwm17]

10. Most people know that animals are conscious

I've seen a few right-wing crazies that disagree, but they are the exception.

Consciousness is fundamental to how we operate. It has to have taken many millions of years for our consciousness to evolve.

Without consciousness we wouldn't have feelings such as pleasure and emotions. Feelings are the driving force without which we couldn't get up in the morning, think, operate a computer, learn, or do anything whatsoever. With no feelings I believe we would be in a state similar to a coma. The same is true for other animals.

We are really no different than this rat, which is driven by his feelings (pleasure) that are stimulated by the scientists.

Normally the feelings are stimulated by the brain itself, and the process is far more subtle. We are almost not aware of many of the subtle feelings that drive us through the day, but we couldn't operate without them.

[Cognosium]

11. Consciousness is an evolutionary necessity.

Within the context of modern science, particularly evolutionary biology, there can be no question but that consciousness is a feature of most, if not all organisms.

Firstly, and most importantly, from our understanding of biological evolution by natural selection it becomes quite clear that the provision of a navigational feature that involves some degree of self awareness is required for an organism to interact optimally with its environment.
It is a measure of its fitness for the prevailing environment and subject to selection pressure accordingly.
There is, of course, a great gulf between the level of consciousness exhibited by our species in comparison to any other.
Simply because the level of interaction with the environment required by our particular ecological niche is incomparably higher. As evidenced by the billions of artifacts and systems that have resulted from human activities.
Assertions that consciousness of other animals is "just like ours" are, of course, wrong. It is merely that which natural selection has honed to match a particular environmental niche.
But the difference is essentially quantitative rather than qualitative.

Furthermore there is a good case to be made for the proposition that, before long, it is probable that we will have a new cognitive entity on this planet that will better our own level.
A product of the autonomous evolution of technology within the collective imagination of our species.
This is outlined in "The Goldilocks Effect: What Has Serendipity Ever Done For Us?" , a free download in e-book formats from the "Unusual Perspectives" website

[Pterodactyl]

12. They totally should be allowed to vote and drive cars.