Consciousness Will Never Be Explained By Science?

"'Historically, philosophers have a disastrous record of explaining things,' Koch said. Philosophers are very good at asking questions, he said, but not so good at finding satisfactory answers."

Yep, that is why philosophy asks unanswerable questions, whereas, science answers answerable questions.

http://www.livescience.com/37056-scientists-and-philosopher…

My friend Bill Pratt presents another "God of the Gaps" argument by essentially saying science cannot and will never explain consciousness.

 http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2015/12/25/why-cant-science-explain-consciousness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ToughQuestionsAnswered+%28Tough+Questions+Answered%29

However,the following challenges his opinion on the subject:

Most scientists agree that consciousness (awareness of self and the world; ability to reflect) within humans (? also higher animals) is one of the greatest challenges in science to explain.  Following are links in support of consciousness being a natural emergent property not only in advanced animals, including humans, but in swarms of animals.

Definition of Emergence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergentism

The Emergence of Consciousness

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15488666

The Gathering Swarms (Consciousness traits noted in groups of animals)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/the-gathering-swarms/the-gathering-swarms/8840/

The Emergence of Human Consciousness from Fetal to Neonatal Life

http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v65/n3/full/pr200950a.html

The Evolution of Consciousness

http://www.academia.edu/1610087/Evolution_of_consciousness

Babies Brains:  When Does Consciousness Emerge?

http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/26/babys-first-consciousness/

Is The Claustrum the Key to Consciousness?

http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2014/05/27/is_the_claustrum_the_key_to_consciousness_108673.html

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In closing, the most profound question of all:  can science ever explain consciousness?  To claim a deity or some other supernatural force is behind this phenomenon is purely "God of the Gaps/Woo of the Gaps" thinking.  Following are links to articles in support of science eventually being able to explain consciousness:

http://blog.brainfacts.org/2013/03/can-science-explain-consciousness/#.Vn6eJE9aBio

http://www.livescience.com/47096-theories-seek-to-explain-consciousness.html

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_chalmers_how_do_you_explain_consciousness/transcript?language=en

http://cds.cern.ch/record/428321/files/0002045.pdf?version=1

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If one is inclined to accept the concept of a Soul, this one's for you:  

http://appliedsentience.com/.../the-soul-fallacy-an.../

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