Annaka Harris

Do you really think that's a question?

Do you really think that's a question?

Take one step back.

We look out at the universe.

at this point in our scientific understanding, we know that essentially we're all made of the same ingredients, right?

There are atoms in the universe doing their thing.

They find themselves in different configurations based on the laws of physics.

And then the question is, if we look out at all of the configurations of atoms in the universe and ask,

which of these entail conscious experiences?

Which of these have a felt experience of being the matter they are?

And they're really only two, broadly speaking, they're really only two assumptions to make here.

And the first one is the one that

science has taken and that I have for most of my career as well, and that in many ways makes the most sense, which is electrons aren't conscious, tables aren't caught, there's no felt experience there.

But at a certain point in complex processing, that processing entails an experience of being that processing.

Now, that's just a fascinating fact all on its own, and I love to spend time thinking about that.

But

So the question is, does consciousness arise at some point?

Are some of these collections of atoms conscious or are all of them?

Because we know the answer isn't none.

I know that I'm at least having a conscious experience.