| IntroductionThe question of what our
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| | astonishment, or the brows are heavily
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| consciousness is, or how or where it is
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| | contracted. Perspiration bathes the body,
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| produced, has been the subject of much
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| | and drops trickle down the face. The
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| philosophical inquiry over the past
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| | circulation and respiration are much
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| centuries. Some have relied upon
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| | affected. Hence the nostrils are
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| spiritual conclusions, claiming that
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| | generally dilated and often quiver; or
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| consciousness is one's soul (though
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| | the breath may be held until the blood
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| today, the term "soul" often means one's
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| | stagnates in the purple face. If the
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| emotional individuality). There are
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| | agony be severe and prolonged, these
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| different claims across ancient
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| | signs all change; utter prostration
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| civilization, offering the idea that the
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| | follows, with fainting or convulsions."
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| soul exists in a physical part of the
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| | [The Expression of the Emotions in Man
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| body, be it the head, the heart, or the
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| | and Animals, by Charles Darwin, chapter
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| genitals. However, with the rise of
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| | 3.]Consciousness: What I Do Not
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| science, there is a new approach to the
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| | Know...As far as various philosophical
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| question of consciousness. The
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| | thoughts go, I have often been hesitant
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| importance given to consciousness varies
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| | to publish thoughts without first finding
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| sometimes from individual to individual,
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| | a conclusion (one, of course, based on
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| from school of thought to school of
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| | evidence and Reason). However, as much
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| thought. Some philosophers simply marvel
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| | as I thought on the topic of
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| at the complexity of the thing, sometimes
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| | consciousness, the more I think the more
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| almost reflectively. Just as some
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| | I become convinced that only science,
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| philosophers regard it as a spectular
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| | demonstration, and observation, could
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| thing that requires explanation, some
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| | discover the answers to my questions.
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| philosophers regard the question of
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| | The following is an inquiry concerning
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| consciousness as an important underyling
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| | consciousness...Our brains, like all
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| factor in their entire philosophy.For
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| | other physical things, is composed of
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| example, as a Vegetarian, I do not
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| | matter. In this sense, it is composed of
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| actively engage in any activity which
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| | different atoms, such as Carbon and
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| causes suffering or unwanted death to a
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| | Nitrogen, interlocking to form
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| conscious being. Naturally, since I have
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| | structures. The structures of the brain
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| this philosophical concept of rights, I
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| | give it the capability of consciousness.
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| want to understand this scientific
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| | The question I am presenting is not how
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| concept of consciousness. Sometimes I am
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| | consciousness can arrise from basic
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| asked whether I would regard the rights
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| | elements, but how reliant upon the
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| of a plant, bacteria, or an insect. To
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| | molecules consciousness is. The Atomic
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| these three organisms, I have no
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| | Theory can be defined as follows: the
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| difficulty answering. A plant and
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| | theory that all matter is composed of
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| bacteria do not contain a consciousness,
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| | atoms, and that all atoms are composed of
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| whereas evidence suggest that insects
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| | simple structures, including protons.
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| have a sort of consciousness. But
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| | All protons are incredibly similar in
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| whether or not I am right or wrong in
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| | structure, and an atom's individual is
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| such a response, I will always say, "I
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| | defined by the number of protons it has.
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| regard the rights of conscious beings.
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| | A Hydrogen atom, for example, has 1
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| None others." If they inquire into which
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| | proton. A Helium atom differs from a
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| organsms are conscious and if I do not
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| | Hydrogen atom in that it has 2 protons.
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| know, I respond that the question of
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| | Carbon has 4 protons. Iron has 77
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| consciousness is one of science, not one
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| | protons. Gold has 79 protons. Silver
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| of philosophy. As far as how
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| | has 47 protons. Uranium has 92 protons.
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| consciousness works, I do not know. I
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| | The difference between these elements
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| only hope to provide questions that I
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| | differs in protons, and a proton changes
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| have thought of endlessly, with no
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| | other factors. For each proton, there is
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| conclusion. To quote Scientific American
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| | a neutron. For each proton, there is an
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| about a story of Neuroscientists..."Koch,
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| | attraction to another electron. One gold
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| 44, directs the computation and neural
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| | atom, though, will react the same as any
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| systems program at Caltech. He arrived
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| | other gold atom, as long as conditions
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| here in 1986, a time when consciousness
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| | are the same.Describing the Atomic Theroy
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| research was still considered career
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| | is only a preliminary to the question of
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| suicide even for established brain
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| | consciousness. Since one Carbon atom
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| researchers. But high-profile attention
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| | reacts the same as any other Carbon atom,
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| to the subject by Nobelists Gerald M.
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| | what would happen if a Carbon atom in
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| Edelman and Francis Crick, coupled with
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| | someone's brain was quickly replaced with
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| advances in functional brain imaging, has
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| | a different Carbon atom? Since all
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| elevated the field--and its
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| | Carbon atoms react the same, the
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| investigators--to
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| | consciousness of the person would not be
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| respectability."Neurobiologists have
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| | altered. This would mean that their
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| since given up the notion that Koch may
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| | thoughts, their ideas, their emotions,
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| be dangerously offbeat, despite his
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| | their memories, and their personality
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| having tattooed his arm last summer with
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| | would not change. Talking to them would
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| the Apple Computer logo to demonstrate
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| | not be like talking to an entirely
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| his love of the Macintosh (a zeal not
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| | different person. No change would be
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| even matched by Steve Jobs). The
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| | noticeable. But, what did change? It
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| neuroscientist leads about 20 researchers
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| | was only one solitary atom. Still, the
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| and calls their mission to explain
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| | organ which produces conscious has one
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| consciousness 'one of the major unsolved
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| | part different.It is important to
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| problems of modern science.'" [Scientific
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| | understand the different consciousnesses
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| American, July, 2001.]Consciousness
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| | when examining this. I do not mean the
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| According to Science...Brain..."All
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| | many different consciousnesses within a
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| thoughts, emotions, sensations,
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| | single person, but with many people. For
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| movements, and desires have their origins
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| | example, if one person's brain was
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| in brain processes. Without a functioning
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| | entirely reconstructed to be identical,
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| brain, the human being is reduced to a
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| | both people would be different entities.
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| vegetative state, unable to perform any
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| | The first person thinks for themself,
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| actions or pessos any feelings, and left
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| | just like the second person. But,
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| without he ability even to alter bodily
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| | importantly, they are different beings.
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| function in rseponse to change. While
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| | The first is the first and the second is
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| this article will consider the human
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| | the second. If one were to have a
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| brain, which is more complex and highly
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| | thought, it would not give that thought
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| developed than that of any other animal,
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| | to the other. By claiming that each
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| the brains of all mammels, and indeed
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| | brain is its own entity, I mean that each
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| most vertebrates, are remarkably
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| | is composed of its own matter and
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| similar."The central nervous system is
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| | produces its own consciousness. When we
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| composed of the brain and the spinal
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| | alter one Carbon atom, by switching it
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| cord. The nerves that supply the rest of
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| | with another, we are changing the matter
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| the body are attached to the brain and
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| | of the brain, though the design remains
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| sinal cord and include the motor nerves,
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| | changeless. The one atom changed. Would
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| which activate muscels, and the sensory
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| | that mean a different consciousness is
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| nerves, which bring information into the
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| | produced? When I speak of a difference,
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| central nervous system. In addition, the
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| | I speak of entity. Would the
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| nerves that supply the internal organs
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| | consciousness change from the state it
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| are found outside the brain and spinal
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| | had before the new Carbon atom to the
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| cord." [Collier's Encyclopedia, under
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| | state after it had the new Carbon atom,
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| "Brain."]Morality..."Many animals,
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| | this change being the same difference
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| however, certainly sympathise with each
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| | between the entity of consciousness
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| other's distress or danger. This is the
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| | existing between two different persons?
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| case even with birds. Captain Stansbury
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| | WHat would happen if we replaced every
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| found on a salt lake in Utah an old and
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| | atom in the brain with a new identical
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| completely blind pelican, which was very
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| | one? It would be a new existing
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| fat, and must have been well fed for a
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| | consciousness, just acting the same,
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| long time by his companions. Mr. Blyth,
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| | believeng the same, doing the same. The
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| as he informs me, saw Indian crows
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| | consciousness acts the same, but it
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| feeding two or three of their companions
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| | differes as an entity. You can have two
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| which were blind; and I have heard of an
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| | identical shoes, for example, but they
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| analogous case with the domestic cock. We
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| | are difefrent in that they are not made
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| may, if we choose, call these actions
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| | out of the same exact matter. The same
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| instinctive; but such cases are much too
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| | question exists with the brain and
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| rare for the development of any special
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| | consciousness. The brain, an organ made
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| instinct. I have myself seen a dog, who
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| | of matter, produces the consciousness,
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| never passed a cat who lay sick in a
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| | but if the brain is altered by one
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| basket, and was a great friend of his,
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| | identical atom, is consciousness
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| without giving her a few licks with his
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| | different in entity?ConclusionsI have
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| tongue, the surest sign of kind feeling
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| | tried my best to offer a simple,
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| in a dog." [The Descent of Man, by
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| | understandable simplification of my ideas
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| Charles Darwin, chapter 4, part I.]Pain
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| | on this subject. Perhaps, though, my
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| and Suffering..."When animals suffer from
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| | thinking of the question of consciousness
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| an agony of pain, they generally writhe
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| | is diluted by the idea that it is
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| about with frightful contortions; and
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| | special, or perhaps it is impossible to
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| those which habitually use their voices
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| | make such thoughts accurately given what
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| utter piercing cries or groans. Almost
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| | little we know of it, given the poor
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| every muscle of the body is brought into
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| | knowledge obtained by science. Whatever
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| strong action. With man the mouth may be
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| | the case may be, consciousness is
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| closely compressed, or more commonly the
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| | consciousness, and I have offered my
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| lips are retracted, with the teeth
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| | questions and thoughts on it.
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| clenched or ground together. There is
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| | Life,Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has
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| said to be "gnashing of teeth" in hell;
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| | been writing essays and poetry on social
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| and I have plainly heard the grinding of
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| | issues which have caught his attention
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| the molar teeth of a cow which was
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| | for several years. His website provides
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| suffering acutely from inflammation of
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| | a complete list of all of these writings.
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| the bowels. The female hippopotamus in
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| | His life experience includes
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| the Zoological Gardens, when she produced
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| | homelessness, squating in New Orleans and
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| her young, suffered greatly; she
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| | LA, dropping out of high school, getting
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| incessantly walked about, or rolled on
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| | expelled from college for "subversive
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| her sides, opening and closing her jaws,
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| | activities," and a myriad of other
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| and clattering her teeth together. With
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| | revolutionary actions.
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| man the eyes stare wildly as in horrified
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