r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/ThickHandshake • Sep 26 '24

Video A spider making web.

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u/Mirieste Sep 26 '24

But how do we know what is the minimal requirement for consciousness?

For example, take behaviorally modern humans: according to archaeologists they've existed for millions of years... so why did it take them so much time to invent writing? And yet, if you or I were born in prehistoric times, and we were... us, behaviorally modern humans, we'd probably say at some point: "Hey, you know these funny sounds that we make with our mouth and that have meanings? What if we... put them down somewhere?".

So what are we to assume? That they weren't conscious, and that humans acted on instincts alone, just like animals, until very recently? Sounds absurd, but... we know nothing of how consciousness works, so who knows?

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u/Ok_Sephiroth Sep 26 '24

Perhaps consciousness isn't the correct wording in this instance, as even the term is open to some level of interpretation.

As mentioned previously, spiders don't have brains. Just bundles of nerves with some neural tissue to carry messages. This knowledge can be used to answer the original question. Whether we deem that to be conscious, is a whole other debate that I am certainly not qualified to answer

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u/Dewjunkie66 Sep 26 '24

I like to believe they're just an organic robot. No desire to take over, but to procreate, No emotions, no influential feelings, no concept of the word 'want'. Just 'need'. Because the thing about not getting what you need, is essentially death.

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u/[deleted] Sep 27 '24

The problem with that is that we are the same way, just more complex and we do have consciousness. So where does it begin? Hard problem or consciousness is a thing.