consciousness – Horizon Magazine Blog

How does it feel to be a bee? The quest to understand animal sentience

February 16, 2021 by Horizon Magazine

What is it like to be a bee? Or a spider? Does a crab feel pleasure or pain? Behavioural and welfare science have moved on considerably in the past 20 years, but there is still a huge amount we don’t know about how animals actually feel – or, indeed, whether they all do. ‘I think … Read more

Pinning down consciousness could improve mental health, brain disorder treatments

November 13, 2019 by Sandrine Ceurstemont

Studies into consciousness could help explain why patients in vegetative states have varying levels of awareness. Image credit - Dr. Leon Kaufman. University Of California, San Francisco, licensed under CC0

Consciousness – the awareness we have of our self and surroundings – is often referred to as ‘the hard problem’. It’s not easy to scientifically explain how a subjective experience, which is something intangible, can be created by the brain – a physical object. But understanding more about how consciousness works could help us find … Read more