Consciousness evolved in stages, starting with basic survival responses like pain and alarm, then expanding into focused awareness and self-reflection. These layers help organisms avoid danger, learn ...

New work explores why consciousness evolved and what observing birds can teach us about its biological purpose.

In 2022, researchers at the Bee Sensory and Behavioral Ecology Lab at Queen Mary University of London observed bumblebees doing something remarkable: The diminutive, fuzzy creatures were engaging in ...

Animal consciousness should not be thought of as a light switch, which can be on or off, philosophers say. They advocate a different approach. There are reasons to assume that not only humans but also ...

Why did the experience of consciousness evolve from our underlying brain physiology? Despite being a vibrant area of neuroscience, current research on consciousness is characterised by disagreement ...

World’s Fastest Electron Microscope, Quantum Consciousness and the Origin of Life Host Erika Hamden explores quantum mysteries. We visit a University of Arizona lab where the world’s fastest electron ...

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 ...

Purposes of pleasure and pain? Our conscious experience makes up our lives, often through positive pleasure: I feel the warm sun on my skin, I hear the singing of birds, I enjoy the moment. Yet we ...

Is the “stoned ape theory” of human consciousness valid? This is the hypothesis that consuming psychedelic mushrooms played a major role in the evolution of human consciousness. It was put forth by ...

There are reasons to assume that not only humans but also some non-human species of animal have conscious perception. Which species have consciousness and how the subjective experience of various ...