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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]

154 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.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes and no. It has long been known that they are surprisingly intelligent, but the structure of their nervous system is very strange and decentralized which makes it fairly surprising nonetheless.

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

I heard there's a theory that they didn't originate on earth

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (2 children)

We have fossil evidence otherwise. Their greatest barrier to developing higher intelligence is that they die after reproduction, so they'll never have pressures to develop more symbolic thought or pass on knowledge.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Octopuses are mostly antisocial anyway and wouldn't want that. Squid, by comparison, use they high intelligence for social interaction but most of it is trying to navigate a social setting where you want to eat as much as you can, mate with your neighbors, and avoid offending your neighbors enough that they eat you. There's still only so much you can do when you die after a year or two because of a biological time bomb that kills you with sex hormone overload.

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

Also being underwater would make it very hard to develop technology.

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

H. P. Lovecraft just in absolute shambles in the corner over there.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Lol what's even a mollusc amirite?

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

I also think these eukaryotic creatures that fit neatly in evolutionary lines must be... aliens.