221
Crows Are Self-Aware Just Like Humans, And They May Be as Smart as Gorillas
(www.popularmechanics.com)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2024
221 points (96.6% liked)
Science
13144 readers
64 users here now
Subscribe to see new publications and popular science coverage of current research on your homepage
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
Right, if an animal passes the test that's a strong indication of self awareness, but if it doesn't then consciousness cannot be ruled out. I would imagine most animals are self aware at least on some level because being able to model oneself within your environment is a useful property. Any organism with a relatively sophisticated internal model would naturally have itself as part of its model.
Yeah, I think self awareness is a really low bar that we tend to think we're special for having. And that this fallacy is part of why animal rights are basically shit.
The mirror test does show that an animal is self-conscious, in the sense that, it likely cares what others think and thus has a theory of mind. And you're right, it only proves self-consciousness, it doesn't prove its lack because as I stated earlier in the case of my rats, other senses might be involved that would produce that response.
Dogs too. Seem much more concerned with how each other smell than how each other look.
I never really understood why the default assumption is that consciousness is something unique to humans and we should default to assuming other animals are not conscious as opposed to the other way around.
id imagine consciousness must be on a spectrum instead of an is/is not thing
All forms of consciousness but, yes, most especially self-awareness. A lot of people really aren't that self-aware compared to a Zen Master. And an earthworm is less self-aware than most people.
I very much agree.