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Comment by rivd | Hacker News Reader

The word "Consciousness" is almost like the word "God".

Many people seem to know what it is, no one can actually define it, and it has never been measured, located or proven to exist.

Maybe we should stop using it altogether.

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I wouldn't go as far as stopping to use it altogether, but when discussing things it might be worth a while to taboo it [0]. It's a very helpful trick; [1] explains it nicely.

[0] - http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Rationalist_taboo

[1] - http://lesswrong.com/lw/nu/taboo_your_words/

We should either stop using it, or at the very least own up to what it is we're [trying to] talk about: http://consc.net/papers/facing.html

Going to read that in earnest, did a quick scan (not my native language) and yes: i want to differentiate here between the not-asleep and the i-think-i-know-i-am-thinking type of consciousness. It's not only experience, but knowing or thinking to know your own experience.

Furthermore, it seems only to exist or pinpoint when you're communicating with another person. In total solitude, boundaries between your self-image and the other(s) just don't hold up, and the whole thing becomes almost meaningless.

Edit: the concept of time seems to be connected to it as well, but i really need to read this paper first now, i think :)

I wouldn't go that far. Consciousness is the result of algorithms properly functioning in my brain chemistry which allows me self-awareness.

Our brains process information in a certain way due to evolution, therefore, we are.

I root all these things into survival. So far computers are 2 years old, without humans to lay infrastructure, renew, fix computers would stop functioning pretty fast.

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