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436

Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

168 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Far more animals than previously thought likely have consciousness, top scientists say in a new declaration — including fish, lobsters and octopus.

Bees play by rolling wooden balls — apparently for fun. The cleaner wrasse fish appears to recognize its own visage in an underwater mirror. Octopuses seem to react to anesthetic drugs and will avoid settings where they likely experienced past pain.

All three of these discoveries came in the last five years — indications that the more scientists test animals, the more they find that many species may have inner lives and be sentient. A surprising range of creatures have shown evidence of conscious thought or experience, including insects, fish and some crustaceans.

That has prompted a group of top researchers on animal cognition to publish a new pronouncement that they hope will transform how scientists and society view — and care — for animals.

Nearly 40 researchers signed “The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness,” which was first presented at a conference at New York University on Friday morning. It marks a pivotal moment, as a flood of research on animal cognition collides with debates over how various species ought to be treated.

(page 4) 22 comments

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 7 months ago (8 children)

It seems odd to me that this article is framing octopodes as a surprising inclusion. Aren't they generally known to be some of the most intelligent animals of all?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago

Anything being that has a sense of self and other has a level of conscious awareness.

[–] [email protected] 98 points 7 months ago (9 children)

Considering that as sentient beings ourselves, we don't really even understand sentience, it's kinda bold to assume we've got a monopoly on it.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Will we now treat them as well as other clearly sentient animals like pigs?

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I'd be tempted to go and say "no shit," but even the most obvious things have to be proven or tested. How you define consciousness can also change a lot.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah, well I'm still not sorry I put out ant traps.

Edit: The downvoters have clearly never had an ant infestation in their kitchen. It's not a 'live and let live' situation.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

That’s not what Kurt Cobain told me.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 7 months ago (1 children)

not surprising, I remember watching spider move when I was a kid and thinking they were obviously intelligent. sure they creep me out but I hate killing them for no reason, same with literally any other living thing

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

That's true, spider man was pretty sentient in his movie

[–] [email protected] -5 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Go. Vegan.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 7 months ago

Yup. Species is an insane line to justify killing over. It's not who can breed with whom, or how somebody looks that matters, it's is there a 'them'.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 7 months ago (7 children)

Wasn’t this already obvious?

[–] [email protected] -3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I mean people have been pushing for recognition of this for at least a few thousand years so I'd say yes.

The lengths people are willing to go in self delusion for a burger are astounding though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Some people are just straight up fine eating beef because they don't care. Like, we won the food chain, and that's enough for them

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago

Denying such things in other animals has been part of a long-standing, mainly Western, push for human exceptionalism

[–] [email protected] 52 points 7 months ago (2 children)

We don’t even know what sentience/sapience/whatever is. We have some thoughts, people argue about the definitions, and stuff; but really… it all comes down to… “are they like us”… but we don’t even really know what that means.

So no. It’s not obvious. (Particularly because humans are surprisingly stupid.)