Quantum consciousness...

[bennyboy]

Can we ever prove that we are conscious? Can we prove that an animal is? This is why it is important to define it first, so we have some way of determining whether something is conscious or not.

No, we can't. And, in fact, I'd say that consciousness is so essential to existence that our inability to objectively observe it doesn't bode well for objective observation as the best way to learn about the mind. I really think we have to define at least some of what "science" means to include methodical self-observation a la the roots of psychology.

Either way, there is no reason to pre-suppose that we cannot build artificial conscious agents.

I agree. But the question is-- how would you know if you did? You could operationalize consciousness in purely objective terms, but that begs the question because it is the subjectivity which makes mind interesting.

It seems to me that neural cyborgs may eventually teach us something-- the ability to add machinery to one's own brain and have some subjective awareness of what that means. Just brainstorming though.