On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 11:12:46 +0100, Andy Hunt wrote:

Similarly, if you look for the _growth_ in a plant, you won't
find it . . .

I know what you mean, but as I said elsewhere, who decides what is
consciousness? And how? Boiling it down again you end up with "I think,
therefore I am" and that's all you can prove. Well, *YOU* can't prove it,
because you're just a figment of my imagination, but *I* can.

What is your personal definition of consciousness? Are viruses conscious?
Bacteria? Fungi? Algae? Apple-trees? Sponges? Jellyfish? Octopuses? Fish?
Humans?
If some of these are conscious then why? And why not the others? That's the
hard bit; trying to identify the boiled-down chemical processes which make
something self-aware. Or even to reach a consensus on what is actually
meant by consciousness.
--
Tim C.