What conditions do you think are required for the existence of consciousness?

[oldos2er]

well this single malt isnt helping

"I drink, therefore I am!"

[Paqman]

Sometimes I like to thing trees, the Sun and even non-physical entities like footpaths have their own consciousness.

What do you think?

I think that's animism, which is a very ancient way of relating to the natural world. There's absolutely no evidence for it of course, but it's not a worldview that's going to lead you harm anyone or anything, so by all means believe in it.

(also, do you think machines becoming self-aware is a possible phenomena or not?)

I hope so, as it would give humans some interesting options for our continued evolution, and there tends to be an assumption that they will, based largely on the mechanistic idea that the brain is simply a very complex machine. However, some very smart people think it won't happen. Roger Penrose (who is a colleague of Stephen Hawking) wrote a book called The Emperor's New Mind about this, it's heavy going but interesting. Essentially he says that computation is qualitatively different to consciousness, so even a very complex simulation of the brain's processes wouldn't necessarily be conscious.

[wojox]

I've knocked myself unconscious while participating in extreme sports. As long as I can tell the paramedics the date and how many fingers there holding up, they let me go on.

[leclerc65]

Do Plants Think?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...niel-chamovitz

[coldraven]

"I drink, therefore I am!"

"I'm pink, therefore I'm spam"

[Elfy]

"I'm pink, therefore I'm spam"

oooh - you sure?

You know what we do with spam

[haqking]

oooh - you sure?

You know what we do with spam

batter it and deep fry it with pineapple ?

mmmmm Yum spam fritters, gotta go now im hungry

[philinux]

I've knocked myself unconscious before participating in extreme sports. As long as I can tell the paramedics the date and how many fingers there holding up, they let me go on.

I'm sure you meant while participating and not before. If you did it before you would not participate.

[click4851]

a soul

[wojox]

I'm sure you meant while participating and not before. If you did it before you would not participate.

I was semi conscious when I posted that.