Consciousness And Emergence

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