• Question: What Is the Biological Basis of Consciousness?

    Asked by stiffler to Akshat, Gemma, Judith on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Akshat Rathi

      Akshat Rathi answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Short answer: no one knows. Understanding consciousness is termed a ‘hard problem’ which is to say that science has still some time to go before it can answer this questions. Sorry I can’t be of more help. May be other scientists more.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Again, I don’t know. It’s to do with an awareness of existence (of yourself and the world around you), which gets abit philosophical!

      In terms of biology it could be defined as instinct to begin with, then learned behaviours as well grow up-It is instinct for people to be aware of their environment and to take in as much information as they can to survive!

      I think for a definite answer, like Akshat said, you may have to wait a bit for science to answer fully! but great question-got our brains working today!! 🙂

    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Really good question. Unfortunately, as the others have said, we don’t know.

      I find it really interesting how all these higher functions (like consciousness) arise from the brain, which is essentially a lump of tissue! It’s one of the examples of how amazing the human body is 🙂

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