this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2024
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Far more animals than previously thought likely have consciousness, top scientists say in a new declaration — including fish, lobsters and octopus.

Bees play by rolling wooden balls — apparently for fun. The cleaner wrasse fish appears to recognize its own visage in an underwater mirror. Octopuses seem to react to anesthetic drugs and will avoid settings where they likely experienced past pain. 

All three of these discoveries came in the last five years — indications that the more scientists test animals, the more they find that many species may have inner lives and be sentient. A surprising range of creatures have shown evidence of conscious thought or experience, including insects, fish and some crustaceans. 

That has prompted a group of top researchers on animal cognition to publish a new pronouncement that they hope will transform how scientists and society view — and care — for animals. 

Nearly 40 researchers signed “The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness,” which was first presented at a conference at New York University on Friday morning. It marks a pivotal moment, as a flood of research on animal cognition collides with debates over how various species ought to be treated.

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[–] frankgrimeszz@lemmy.world 38 points 6 months ago (7 children)

Wasn’t this already obvious?

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 52 points 6 months ago (2 children)

We don’t even know what sentience/sapience/whatever is. We have some thoughts, people argue about the definitions, and stuff; but really… it all comes down to… “are they like us”… but we don’t even really know what that means.

So no. It’s not obvious. (Particularly because humans are surprisingly stupid.)

[–] frankgrimeszz@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago

To people who spend a lot of time around animals or even sea creatures, it may be obvious that they’re more like us than most would assume.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 3 points 6 months ago

To put it another way, humans just aren't that special. We started from the assumption that we are somehow fundamentally different

We keep finding out that all sorts of animals have language and culture, and it blows my mind that apparently, just about everything seems to have something akin to a name

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Well, maybe, but it sure as he'll isn't convenient.

[–] ADonkeyBrainedFog@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)
[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

An Inconvenient Sentience

[–] anguo@lemmy.ca 10 points 6 months ago

Not to people indoctrinated by Abrahamic religions.

[–] speck@kbin.social 10 points 6 months ago

Denying such things in other animals has been part of a long-standing, mainly Western, push for human exceptionalism

[–] dani@lemmy.world -1 points 6 months ago

My first, second, third and fourth thought. I didn’t have a fifth.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I mean people have been pushing for recognition of this for at least a few thousand years so I'd say yes.

The lengths people are willing to go in self delusion for a burger are astounding though.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Some people are just straight up fine eating beef because they don't care. Like, we won the food chain, and that's enough for them