Cats and consciousness

[green_amber]

Someone suggested I upfront this comment as a post so here we go:

Oddly, consciousness is the other thing I was noodling about at the weekend. My cats are so obviously conscious, and in really quite subtle ways I never imagined before I lived with animals. They are disappointed, happy, enticing, vain, frustrated, envious and irritated. Yet they have brains like peas no? How stupid do you have to get before consciousness vanishes? Do bees have consciousness? Do goldfish? Do rats? Do all human beings who are not in comas? Do babies, and if so from what age? Is having consciousness the same as thinking? (DO babies think? They dream don't they - is that the same either? My cats dream.)

And where consciousness exists continues to mystify me. Anyone who's studied the Turing test realises that intelligence as an externally observed factor is not the same as intentionality. WE can simulate intelligence but we can't simulate consciousness. Does this indicate there is some kind of mind/brain dualism actually going on?

Comments

[del-c.livejournal.com]

The classic experiment with apes is to put blue dye on their foreheads and wrists while they're asleep, then let them wake up with a mirror. Chimpanzees try to rub the dye off their wrists and foreheads, gorillas rub their wrists only.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Now that is cool. Sometimes I hold Cookie up to the mirror and try, unsuccessfully, to persuade her to get interested in her reflection. But I remember when my sister's kis were babies, i'm prety sure there was a stage when they didn't know their reflection was themselves either.. (and another stage when they became completely fascinated with pictures of themselves in photo albums, though whether as themselves or other baies we weren't sure).