• Question: What is consciousness?

    Asked by Laureeen+Jozzaaa to Stefan, Rob, Jodi, George, Anna on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Stefan Lines

      Stefan Lines answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Hi Laureeen+Jozzaaa. That is a deep question. Consciousness – to be aware of ones surroundings and feelings. I don’t know! But an interesting question too is, can Robots ever become conscious?

    • Photo: Rob Appleyard

      Rob Appleyard answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      …good question. Wikipedia says…

      Consciousness is the quality or state of awareness, or, of being aware of an external object or something within oneself.

      I guess it’s the state at which you know you are concious.

    • Photo: Anna Scaife

      Anna Scaife answered on 20 Nov 2014:

      This is a great question and, from reading a few articles on the web, it seems that it’s one that philosophers and scientists alike are discussing at length. That probably means there’s no single answer and you guys will have to join the debate and decide for yourself.

      Erwin Schrodinger (who won the nobel prize for his quantum physics work) wrote as much about consciousness as he did about physics. He held the view that ““Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.”

      Albert Schweitzer (nobel peace prize) declared that there was a “comprehensive fact of consciousness: ‘I am life that wants to live, in the midst of life that wants to live’ ”

      I’m undecided – this one’s really up to you.

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