Nature Podcast Audio long read: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI
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Aug 29, 2025 Discover groundbreaking neuroimaging techniques that reveal consciousness in unresponsive humans. Explore the complexities of measuring sentience in animals using the Perturbational Complexity Index. Delve into the ethical dilemmas of understanding consciousness and the potential of determining awareness in AI. This fascinating discussion brings light to the intricacies of consciousness detection and its implications for both living beings and future technologies.
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Tennis Imagery Revealed Hidden Awareness
- In 2005 a 23-year-old woman appeared unresponsive but activated movement-related brain areas when asked to imagine playing tennis.
- That experiment by Adrian Owen revealed covert awareness and launched imaging-based consciousness tests.
Imaging Changes Prognosis And Care
- Functional neuroimaging finds many unresponsive patients retain some awareness, affecting prognosis and care decisions.
- Detecting covert consciousness can influence choices like continuing life support and predicts better recovery odds.
Neuroimaging Provides Practical Tests
- fMRI and EEG provide practical candidate tests for consciousness that were inconceivable decades ago.
- Researchers regard these neuroimaging advances as major progress despite ongoing theoretical debates.