This is an ABC podcast.

What exactly is consciousness?

That is a question humans have been pondering since forever.

And you've probably heard the maxim, I think, therefore I am.

It was written by French philosopher René Descartes 400 years ago,

and it was a way to prove our own

existence. If you think, you exist, you're conscious. That is one way of looking at things,

but researchers are still debating what consciousness is 400 years later, and there are now about

20 different theories of consciousness. What I'm getting at is we are still confused about our own consciousness.

So what about animals? Non-human animals? Are they conscious?

That question opens up a can of worms.

And open that can we did at a recent All In The Mind live event

at the World Science Festival in Brisbane.

So can I get a show of hands?

Raise your hand if you think that at least some animals

are probably conscious.

Maybe not all of them, but at least some.

Okay, that looks like most of the room.

Is there anyone here who thinks animals are definitely not conscious? Any hands for that? Okay, that looks like most of the room. Is there anyone here who thinks animals are definitely not conscious?

Any hands for that?

Okay, no one.

I'm not seeing any hands.

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