… Wow! I worked way to hard to come up with ideas to submit for research funding.
I would like to study Pet Rock Consciousness. Now I see how easy it is. BTW Pet Rocks have not been fed for over 50 years.
Not sure a rock has the microtubules which the brain neurons do…I foresee an “inconclusive result and further research required” finding so the methodolgy is questionable, which should preclude the grants. But otherwise happy to go with the consciousness “no-thing” origins idea.
Perhaps “consciousness” has been around much, much longer…?
Even aging the Milky Way?
[The Popular Mechanics question is good,
The answer?]
see … Syneidēsis (συνείδησις)
συνείδησις
συνείδησις, εως, ἡ,
knowledge shared with another, τῶν ἀλγημάτων (in a midwife) Sor. 1.4.
2.communication, information, εὑρήσεις σ. PPar. p.422 (ii A.D.); σ. εἰσήνεγκαν τοῖς κολλήγαις αὐτῶν POxy. 123.13 (iii/iv A.D.).
3.knowledge, λῦε ταῦτα πάντα μὴ διαλείψας ἀγαθῇ σ. (v.l. ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ) Hp. Ep. 1.
4.consciousness, awareness, [τῆς αὑτοῦ συστάσεως] Chrysipp.Stoic. 3.43, cf. Phld. Rh. 2.140 S., 2 Ep.Cor. 4.2, 5.11, 1 Ep.Pet. 2.19; τῆς κακοπραγμοσύνης Democr. 297, cf. D.S. 4.65, Ep.Hebr. 10.2; κατὰ συνείδησιν ἀτάραχοι διαμενοῦσι Hero Bel. 73; inner consciousness, ἐν σ. σου βασιλέα μὴ καταράσῃ LXX Ec. 10.20; in 1 Ep.Cor. 8.7 συνειδήσει is f.l. for συνηθείᾳ.
5.consciousness of right or wrong doing, conscience, Periander and Bias ap. Stob. 3.24.11,12, Luc. Am. 49; ἐὰν ἐγκλήματός τινος ἔχῃ σ. Anon. Oxy. 218 (a) ii 19; βροτοῖς ἅπασιν ἡ σ. θεός Men. Mon. 654, cf. LXX Wi. 17.11, D.H. Th. 8 (but perh. interpol.); σ. ἀγαθή Act.Ap. 23.1; ἀπρόσκοπος πρὸς τὸν θεόν ib. 24.16; καθαρά 1 Ep.Ti. 3.9, POsl. 17.10 (ii A.D.); κολαζομένους κατὰ συνείδησιν Vett.Val. 210.1; θλειβομένη τῇ σ. περὶ ὧν ἐνοσφίσατο PRyl. 116.9 (ii A.D.); τὸν . . θεὸν κεχολωμένον ἔχοιτο καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν σ. Ath.Mitt. 24.237 (Thyatira); conscientiousness, Arch.Pap. 3.418.13 (vi A.D.).–Senses 4 and 5 sts. run one into the other, v. 1 Ep.Cor. 8.7, 10.27 sq.
6.complicity, guilt, crime, περὶ τοῦ πεφημίσθαι αὐτὴν ἐν σ. τοιαύτῃ Supp.Epigr. 4.648.13 (Lydia, ii A.D.).
Of Course!
[With AI approved characters]