3 ms·
While similarity to humans is a good indicator of consciousness, it's very much not a necessary condition! We need to err on the side of sentience if we're goi
by superb-owl 4y ago
While similarity to humans is a good indicator of consciousness, it's very much not a necessary condition!
We need to err on the side of sentience if we're going to avoid moral catastrophe.
So yes, I do take the possibility of sentient trees pretty seriously. They're much more alive than we realize--e.g. they communicate with one another and coordinate actions via chemical signals. Do they feel pain and pleasure? Who knows. But I'm definitely not going to start peeling the bark off a tree for shits and giggles.