Crows, chimps and elephants: these and many other birds and mammals behave in ways that suggest they might be conscious. And the list does not end with vertebrates. Researchers are expanding their investigations of consciousness to a wider range of animals, including octopuses and even bees and flies. Armed with such research, a coalition of scientists is calling for a rethink in the animal'human relationship. If there's 'a realistic possibility' of 'conscious experience in an animal, it is irresponsible to ignore that possibility in decisions affecting that animal', the researchers write in a document they call The New York Declaration of Animal Consciousness. Issued today during a meeting in New York City, the declaration also says that there is a 'realistic possibility of conscious experience' in reptiles, fish, insects and other animals that have not always been considered to have inner lives, and 'strong scientific support' for aspects of consciousness in birds and mammals. As...
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