Conversation

"It appears that consciousness is a very rare & precious thing & we should take whatever steps we can to preserve the light of consciousness. Only now, after 4.5 billion years has that window been open. That’s a long time to wait and it might not stay open for long.” -

@elonmusk

SpaceX and 9 others

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Pete

@iPeteP

Jan 3

I assume you are stating humans make consciousness special. Probably in context. We need to operationally define life. I believe everything is alive and conscious at both the micro and macro level. Everything possesses data, stores, processes, analyzes and acts on it.

Skyler

@RoslingSky

Jan 3

Earth and all life on it has been around for 4.5 billion. Humans only the last six million years.

Pete

@iPeteP

Jan 3

Ah, but define life. Scientists still don't agree on a definition. Is an oxygen molecule alive? No? Yet it knows what it is. And it knows what to do in the presence of two hydrogen molecules which also know what they are.

Skyler

@RoslingSky

Jan 3

Life; something that can die.

Replying to

Ah but define death. Is a stone alive? It moves albeit slowly if you put a camera on it and watch over time you will see itovesk, it interacts w it's environment thru chemical processes and it eventually crumbles into smaller particles essentially disintegrating..

4:41 PM · Jan 3, 2022Twitter for Android

Replying to

I guess we're using 'sentience' as the definition in this context?