Scientists can't quite agree what constitutes consciousness, nor are they sure why it ever came to be, though they have ...

An ongoing controversy in philosophy is whether or not we can provide an evolutionary account of consciousness. Can we say that consciousness (i.e., our subjective phenomenal experience) evolved for a ...

Although scientific research about consciousness has enjoyed a boom in the past two decades, one central question remains unanswered: What is the function of consciousness? Why did it evolve at all?

What gives rise to human consciousness? Are some parts of the brain more important than others? Scientists began tackling these questions in more depth about 35 years ago. Researchers have made ...

New studies suggest consciousness can't be judged solely by behavior, whether it's a chatbot discussing philosophy or a bee searching for nectar. Researchers are increasingly focusing on the internal ...

A philosopher at the University of Cambridge says there’s no reliable way to know whether AI is conscious—and that may remain true for the foreseeable future. According to Dr. Tom McClelland, ...