Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagLocked-in syndrome

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Close-up of a green plant with sunlight illuminating the leaves on the right side of the image

Three Recent Books Argue for Consciousness in Plants

The award-winning environment journalist who reviews the books tackles the question, “If so, is it right to eat even plants?”
The idea that plants can "feel" things, based on their complex reactions, may stem from a misunderstanding of categories of consciousness. Read More ›
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Venus flytrap is one of the carnivore plants

A Science Writer Makes the Case for Plants as Conscious Beings

Annaka Harris, neuroscience and physics writer, starts by casting doubt on human consciousness

Annaka Harris, a science writer focusing on neuroscience and physics and the author of Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind (2019), challenges us to reflect on two points: 1) In a system that we know has conscious experiences — the human brain — what evidence of consciousness can we detect from the outside? 2) Is consciousness essential to our behavior? The editor notes, introducing an excerpt from the book, “But how sure can we be that plants aren’t conscious? And what if what we take to be behavior indicating consciousness can be replicated with no conscious agent involved? Annaka Harris invites us to consider the real possibility that our intuitions about consciousness might be mere Read More ›