How Do Babies Realize They Can Influence the World?
An infant’s aha! moment may hold secrets to the origins of agency
Consciousness
Consciousness Is a Continuum, and Scientists Are Starting to Measure It
A new technique helps anesthesiologists track changes in states of consciousness
The Strange and Beautiful Science of Our Lives
Nell Greenfieldboyce discusses her new book Transient and Strange, the intimacy of the essays and the science that inspired them.
Understanding Consciousness Goes Beyond Exploring Brain Chemistry
We can account for the evolution of consciousness only if we crack the philosophy, as well as the physics, of the brain
Is Consciousness Part of the Fabric of the Universe?
A theory called panpsychism proposes that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality
Prominent Consciousness Theory Is Slammed as Bogus Science
Researchers publicly call out theory that they say is not well supported by science, but that gets undue attention
Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences,’ a New Study Shows
In some cardiac arrest patients, a flurry of brain activity during life-saving CPR may be a sign of a “near-death experience”
What Does It ‘Feel’ Like to Be a Chatbot?
Generative AI has made giant strides toward machine intelligence. Can machine consciousness be far behind?
If AI Becomes Conscious, Here’s How We Can Tell
A checklist derived from six neuroscience-based theories of consciousness could help assess whether an artificial intelligence system achieves this state
A 25-Year-Old Bet about Consciousness Has Finally Been Settled
A brain scientist and a philosopher have resolved a wager on consciousness that was made when Bill Clinton was president
Why Dying People Often Experience a Burst of Lucidity
New research shows surprising activity levels in dying brains and may help explain the sudden clarity many people with dementia experience near death
Surges of Activity in the Dying Human Brain Could Hint at Fleeting Conscious Experiences
An increase in activity in dying brains might be associated with last-minute conscious experiences, but scientists don’t know for sure