Research on Consciousness has exploded in the last quarter century. The piece at the link above relates some of the surprising discoveries. One of them is that it's highly likely an organism does not have to be as intelligent as Homo sapiens to possess Consciousness. Another is that it's even more likely something has to be biologically alive in order to possess Consciousness.
That means: don't believe the hype being promulgated by Mega Corporations about Artificial Intelligence . The original definition of A.I. was: an artificial machine conscious of itself as a separate "being". Tech Whiz Kids are nowhere near creating such a machine. A bunch of algorithms which can predict certain outcomes or make certain choices based on input does not constitute a conscious being. A.I. does not presently exist... and likely never will. I leave it to you to guess as to why certain large corporations want us to believe it does exist.
The research also shows that, despite some people believing otherwise, human beings are a part of Nature. We are not separate from, superior to, or in any way above Nature. We are Nature. That is one of the core principles of ecoethics and ecocentrism. To believe we must conquer Nature gives us license to destroy Nature, and too many people appear to be doing exactly that... often at will.
Finally, what the brain perceives are energy impulses coming from objects. Everything is energy. Matter consists of bundles of energy vibrating much more slowly than light, or gamma rays, or radio waves, etc. The implication of it all is clear: all things are made of one thing, and it's all part of a whole.
It's encouraging to live in a time when researchers in all fields of Natural Science are seriously studying Reality, and discovering (or confirming) its intrinsic properties.
The real mystery is Consciousness. If it only exists in sentient beings, or there as well as elsewhere, then does that mean all sentient beings have intrinsic value? I think it does, which means we humans need to discard our hubris and view all beings possessing sentience as having much more than only utilitarian value.*** That's another core principle of ecoethics and ecocentrism.
***For example, the way in which elephants and certain other domesticated and wild animals are treated by some humans (all around the world) is outrageous, immoral, and unethical.
Going Green without adopting an ecocentric (as opposed to anthropocentric) worldview is, in my opinion, an oxymoron. It's counterintuitive. It will result in failure. No sustainability for Spaceship Earth. Luckily for us, many people appear to be recognizing such.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
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