[Big A]

Animals Are as With It as Humans, Scientists Say

A prominent group of scientists signs a document stating that animals are just as "conscious and aware" as humans are. This is a big deal.

THE GIST

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  An international group of prominent scientists supports the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are.
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  The list includes all mammals, birds and even some encephlopods.
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  The group says consciousness can emerge even in those animals that are very much unlike humans.

The group consists of cognitive scientists, neuropharmacologists, neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists, and computational neuroscientists -- all of whom were attending the Francis Crick Memorial Conference on Consciousness in Human and Non-Human Animals. The declaration was signed in the presence of Stephen Hawking, and included such signatories as Christof Koch, David Edelman, Edward Boyden, Philip Low, Irene Pepperberg, and many more.

[softy54534]

Rebirth is the best explanation for why animals can be just as conscious as humans. Consciousness is the same for all sentient beings in these perpetual cycles of birth and death where a beginning point is not evident as pointed out by the Buddha.

[brraverishhh]

Why does it take a group of such highly learned scientists to tell us this? Any regular Joe or Jane observing some bugs or squids will be able to come to this conclusion.

Cheers!