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Kurzgesagt (In a Nutshell), The Origin of Consciousness – How Unaware Things Became Aware

The Origin of Consciousness – How Unaware Things Became Aware

Consciousness is perhaps the biggest riddle in nature.

Stripped to its core meaning,

consciousness is what allows us to be aware both of our surroundings and of our own inner state.

But thinking about consciousness has this habit of taking us round in circles.

We all intuitively know what consciousness is.

It's this...

It's what you're experiencing here, right now.

But once we try to pinpoint just what exactly it is, it leaves us grasping at thin air.

And not just us, philosophers and scientists struggle to define consciousness.

Different schools and ideas compete with one another, but no one has come close to figuring it out.

It's unsettling to realise that we don't understand what makes us aware of ourselves and the world.

In this fuzzy area, consciousness and intelligence are also related, although they are not the same.

We'll talk in greater depth about theories of consciousness and intelligence in other videos.

Like much of what makes us human,

our consciousness is likely to have evolved from less complex forms,

as a product of evolution by natural selection.

It has probably emerged from an immense several 100 million years sequence of countless micro steps,

that together make up a sort of gradient of consciousness.

What was the first step on this path from the non-conscious

to the basic consciousness that ultimately led to the convoluted consciousness we humans enjoy today?

[Intro]

Take a stone.

The consensus is that a stone is not conscious. Though, not everyone agrees even on this.

Some panpsychists claim that a lump of rock may have an inner life.

However, there are no real grounds for any such assumption since stones never show behaviour.

Their inner life can neither be proven nor disproven.

A more common starting point is with the living things.

A living thing, or a self, is a part of the universe that sustains itself and makes more of its kind.

To do so, it needs energy.

And this is where an awareness of the world comes in handy.

The original function of consciousness was probably to direct a mobile self that was short of energy

to a fresh supply of food.

On the smaller scales of life, you don't need to be aware to find food.

Trichopax adhaerens - one of the simplest of all animals moves around haphazardly.

It slows down in the presence of food, and speeds up in its absence.

This is highly effective, and makes the tiny creature spend more time where there is food

spend more time where there is food than where there is not.

But it never moves in a particular direction towards a particular target, and there's no need for it to be conscious of its environment.

The first major step towards consciousness

was probably taken when mobile selves started to move themselves directionally.

Moving towards what was good for them, say food, and away from what was less good, say someone else who thought that they were food.

Take Dugesia tigrina - a tiny worm known for its funny face.

Sometimes the worm is hungry, and sometimes not.

This means that when it moves,

the worm self is not simply producing an automatic response to an external stimulus,

but that its actions depend upon its inner, physiological state,

whether it's hungry or sated.

When it's just eaten, the worm is less energetic,

but when starved for a while, it will move itself in the direction of tasty things.

It uses chemoreceptors on its head to smell its environment,

and guide it in the direction where the scent of food is strongest.

After finding and eating a meal, our worm buddy heads back to a dark sheltered spot to digest it in safety,

until it's hungry again.

But animals that blindly follow their sense of smell don't have a concrete objective in view.

They still lack any sense of where they are heading.

So, the next step on the ladder of consciousness is to add some perception at a distance,

like vision.

Vision adds context and depth to our world.

With vision comes a sense of the space we and our food exists in.

It adds a whole new dimension to awareness, and is a huge step towards more familiar consciousness.

An optical apparatus, like an eye, enables us to visualise our goal and lock onto it.

But even at this stage, a self is only able to pursue its food as long as it sees it.

So, the next logical step needs to happen on the inside.

To visualise food in its absence, for example,

a self needs to create some sort of inner representation of the world.

Now, an animal can continue looking for food, even when it escapes its sensory range.

Because of this inner representation of what is relevant in the world,

it can remain focused on its food and its desire to get it.

Our self now exists in a world it can get familiar with.

The ability to remember things has emerged.

Thanks to memory, animals can be distracted from the pursuit for a few seconds,

but quickly continue their path afterwards.

A related phenomenon is called 'object permanence'.

This describes our awareness that things continue to exist even when we can't see them.

This cognitive skill is enjoyed by some mammals and birds, and perhaps other animals too.

Human babies tend to develop this ability around the time they turn eight months,

while baby chickens show this ability within a day or two of being born.

The capacity to remember a thing in its absence suggests at least a basic sense of time.

A sense of time is a big step on the ladder of consciousness.

It may also enable a self to look forward from the present moment and anticipate the future.

Adult chickens, for example, are able to resist a meal put in front of them if they expect to receive a bigger meal

as a prize for holding back for a while.

This sort of delayed gratification means there is an ability to visualize a reward that only exists in the future,

which can be quite a challenge even for adult humans.

Western scrub jays are experts in delayed gratification.

They show an even more elaborate sense of the future when they hide food in a cache

to retrieve it at a later date.

The scrub jays will even rehide their food if they become aware that a potential thief has been watching them.

This means that they know that there are other hungry selves out there,

who are aware and see the world from their own, different perspective.

Crafty scrub jays can sort of read the mind of their fellow birds.

This ability to mind-read is crucial for complex levels of consciousness.

By putting yourself in the position of others, you can outsmart a rich competitor,

or empathise with a hungry friend.

Language takes the ability to read minds and represent what is absent to a whole new level.

Words enable us to construct hypotheses about the world,

make detailed plans, and to communicate them with others.

Words enable us to think about ourselves and our place in the universe,

and even about our own consciousness, which is something we'll be doing more in future videos.

So, what is the origin of our consciousness?

It probably began as the directed motion of a hungry self towards a source of food.

With the survival benefits, this gave it over competitors that moved at random or not at all. It probably all started with the urge for more food.

So, even with the sophisticated consciousness that allows us to dream about space,

build skyscrapers, or obsess about novels,

it's not surprising that we can't stop thinking about where we'll get our next meal.

Collectively, we've put so much thought and ingenuity into getting food,

that we can now just get our food to come to us with little conscious effort.

This video is part one of a three-part video series relating to big questions of life and the universe,

made possible by a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

You can find our sources and further reading in the video description, or get the consciousness book by Rupert Glasgow for free- link down below.

If you want to help us make more videos, you can do so on patreon.com,

or get one of our posters from our shop.

The Origin of Consciousness – How Unaware Things Became Aware Der Ursprung des Bewusstseins – Wie unbewusste Dinge bewusst wurden The Origin of Consciousness – How Unaware Things Became Aware El origen de la conciencia: cómo lo inconsciente se hizo consciente L'origine de la conscience - Comment les choses non conscientes sont devenues conscientes 意識の起源 - 無意識のものはいかにして意識されるようになったか 의식의 기원 - 인식하지 못한 것들이 어떻게 인식하게 되었는가 A Origem da Consciência – Como Coisas Inconscientes Tornaram-se Conscientes Medvetandets ursprung – hur omedvetna saker blev medvetna Bilincin Kökeni - Farkında Olmayan Şeyler Nasıl Farkında Oldu? Походження свідомості - як неусвідомлені речі стали усвідомленими 意识的起源——无意识的事物如何变得有意识 意識的起源——無意識的事物如何變得有意識

Consciousness is perhaps the biggest riddle in nature. Сознание - это, пожалуй, самая большая загадка в природе.

Stripped to its core meaning, Despojado ao seu significado central, Снято с основного смысла,

consciousness is what allows us to be aware both of our surroundings and of our own inner state. a consciência é o que nos permite estar cientes tanto do nosso entorno quanto do nosso próprio estado interior.

But thinking about consciousness has this habit of taking us round in circles. Aber das Denken über das Bewusstsein hat die Angewohnheit, uns im Kreis zu drehen. Mas pensar sobre a consciência tem esse hábito de nos levar em círculos.

We all intuitively know what consciousness is.

It's this...

It's what you're experiencing here, right now.

But once we try to pinpoint just what exactly it is, it leaves us grasping at thin air. Aber wenn wir versuchen, genau zu bestimmen, was es ist, dann greifen wir ins Leere. Mas uma vez que tentamos identificar exatamente o que é exatamente, isso nos deixa agarrados ao ar. Но как только мы пытаемся определить, что же это такое, мы хватаемся за воздух.

And not just us, philosophers and scientists struggle to define consciousness.

Different schools and ideas compete with one another, but no one has come close to figuring it out. Diferentes escolas e ideias competem umas com as outras, mas ninguém chegou perto de descobrir isso.

It's unsettling to realise that we don't understand what makes us aware of ourselves and the world. É inquietante perceber que não entendemos o que nos torna conscientes de nós mesmos e do mundo. Тревожно осознавать, что мы не понимаем, что заставляет нас осознавать себя и мир.

In this fuzzy area, consciousness and intelligence are also related, although they are not the same. In diesem unscharfen Bereich sind auch Bewusstsein und Intelligenz miteinander verbunden, obwohl sie nicht dasselbe sind. Nessa área difusa, consciência e inteligência também estão relacionadas, embora não sejam a mesma coisa.

We'll talk in greater depth about theories of consciousness and intelligence in other videos. Falaremos com mais profundidade sobre teorias de consciência e inteligência em outros vídeos.

Like much of what makes us human, Como muito do que nos torna humanos,

our consciousness is likely to have evolved from less complex forms, nossa consciência provavelmente evoluiu de formas menos complexas,

as a product of evolution by natural selection.

It has probably emerged from an immense several 100 million years sequence of countless micro steps, Provavelmente emergiu de uma imensa sequência de vários 100 milhões de anos de incontáveis micro passos,

that together make up a sort of gradient of consciousness. que juntos formam uma espécie de gradiente de consciência.

What was the first step on this path from the non-conscious Qual foi o primeiro passo neste caminho do inconsciente

to the basic consciousness that ultimately led to the convoluted consciousness we humans enjoy today? à consciência básica que, em última análise, levou à consciência complicada que nós humanos desfrutamos hoje?

[Intro]

Take a stone. Pegue uma pedra.

The consensus is that a stone is not conscious. Though, not everyone agrees even on this. O consenso é que uma pedra não é consciente. Embora, nem todos concordam mesmo sobre isso.

Some panpsychists claim that a lump of rock may have an inner life. Alguns panpsiquistas afirmam que um pedaço de rocha pode ter uma vida interior.

However, there are no real grounds for any such assumption since stones never show behaviour. No entanto, não há motivos reais para tal suposição, uma vez que as pedras nunca mostram comportamento.

Their inner life can neither be proven nor disproven.

A more common starting point is with the living things. Um ponto de partida mais comum é com os seres vivos.

A living thing, or a self, is a part of the universe that sustains itself and makes more of its kind. Uma coisa viva, ou um eu, é uma parte do universo que se sustenta e produz mais de sua espécie.

To do so, it needs energy.

And this is where an awareness of the world comes in handy. E é aí que a consciência do mundo vem a calhar.

The original function of consciousness was probably to direct a mobile self that was short of energy A função original da consciência era provavelmente dirigir um eu móvel que estava com falta de energia

to a fresh supply of food. para um suprimento fresco de alimentos.

On the smaller scales of life, you don't need to be aware to find food.

Trichopax adhaerens - one of the simplest of all animals moves around haphazardly.

It slows down in the presence of food, and speeds up in its absence. Ele diminui na presença de alimentos e acelera na sua ausência.

This is highly effective, and makes the tiny creature spend more time where there is food

spend more time where there is food than where there is not.

But it never moves in a particular direction towards a particular target, and there's no need for it to be conscious of its environment. e não há necessidade de estar consciente de seu ambiente.

The first major step towards consciousness O primeiro grande passo para a consciência

was probably taken when mobile selves started to move themselves directionally. werd waarschijnlijk genomen toen mobiele zelven zich richtinggevend begonnen te bewegen. provavelmente foi tirada quando os eus móveis começaram a se mover direcionalmente.

Moving towards what was good for them, say food, and away from what was less good, say someone else who thought that they were food. diga alguém que pensou que eles eram comida.

Take Dugesia tigrina - a tiny worm known for its funny face.

Sometimes the worm is hungry, and sometimes not.

This means that when it moves,

the worm self is not simply producing an automatic response to an external stimulus, o eu do verme não está simplesmente produzindo uma resposta automática a um estímulo externo,

but that its actions depend upon its inner, physiological state, mas que suas ações dependem de seu estado interior, fisiológico,

whether it's hungry or sated.

When it's just eaten, the worm is less energetic,

but when starved for a while, it will move itself in the direction of tasty things. mas quando faminto por um tempo, ele se moverá na direção de coisas saborosas.

It uses chemoreceptors on its head to smell its environment,

and guide it in the direction where the scent of food is strongest.

After finding and eating a meal, our worm buddy heads back to a dark sheltered spot to digest it in safety, Depois de encontrar e comer uma refeição, nosso amigo minhoca volta para um local escuro e protegido para digeri-lo em segurança.

until it's hungry again.

But animals that blindly follow their sense of smell don't have a concrete objective in view. Mas os animais que seguem cegamente o olfato não têm um objetivo concreto em vista.

They still lack any sense of where they are heading. Eles ainda não têm qualquer noção de para onde estão indo.

So, the next step on the ladder of consciousness is to add some perception at a distance,

like vision.

Vision adds context and depth to our world.

With vision comes a sense of the space we and our food exists in. Com a visão vem uma sensação do espaço em que nós e nossa comida existimos.

It adds a whole new dimension to awareness, and is a huge step towards more familiar consciousness. Acrescenta uma dimensão totalmente nova à consciência e é um grande passo em direção a uma consciência mais familiar.

An optical apparatus, like an eye, enables us to visualise our goal and lock onto it. Um aparato óptico, como um olho, nos permite visualizar nosso objetivo e bloqueá-lo.

But even at this stage, a self is only able to pursue its food as long as it sees it. Mas mesmo nesse estágio, um eu só é capaz de perseguir seu alimento enquanto o vê.

So, the next logical step needs to happen on the inside. Então, o próximo passo lógico precisa acontecer no interior.

To visualise food in its absence, for example,

a self needs to create some sort of inner representation of the world. um eu precisa criar algum tipo de representação interna do mundo.

Now, an animal can continue looking for food, even when it escapes its sensory range. Agora, um animal pode continuar procurando por comida, mesmo quando escapa de seu alcance sensorial.

Because of this inner representation of what is relevant in the world,

it can remain focused on its food and its desire to get it. ele pode permanecer focado em sua comida e seu desejo de obtê-la.

Our self now exists in a world it can get familiar with. Nosso eu agora existe em um mundo com o qual pode se familiarizar.

The ability to remember things has emerged. A capacidade de lembrar as coisas surgiu.

Thanks to memory, animals can be distracted from the pursuit for a few seconds, Graças à memória, os animais podem se distrair da perseguição por alguns segundos,

but quickly continue their path afterwards. mas rapidamente continuam seu caminho depois.

A related phenomenon is called 'object permanence'. Um fenômeno relacionado é chamado de 'permanência do objeto'.

This describes our awareness that things continue to exist even when we can't see them.

This cognitive skill is enjoyed by some mammals and birds, and perhaps other animals too.

Human babies tend to develop this ability around the time they turn eight months, Os bebês humanos tendem a desenvolver essa habilidade por volta dos oito meses,

while baby chickens show this ability within a day or two of being born. enquanto os pintinhos mostram essa habilidade dentro de um ou dois dias após o nascimento.

The capacity to remember a thing in its absence suggests at least a basic sense of time.

A sense of time is a big step on the ladder of consciousness.

It may also enable a self to look forward from the present moment and anticipate the future.

Adult chickens, for example, are able to resist a meal put in front of them if they expect to receive a bigger meal

as a prize for holding back for a while.

This sort of delayed gratification means there is an ability to visualize a reward that only exists in the future,

which can be quite a challenge even for adult humans. o que pode ser um grande desafio mesmo para humanos adultos.

Western scrub jays are experts in delayed gratification. Gaios ocidentais são especialistas em gratificação atrasada.

They show an even more elaborate sense of the future when they hide food in a cache Eles mostram uma visão ainda mais elaborada do futuro quando escondem comida em um esconderijo

to retrieve it at a later date. para recuperá-lo posteriormente.

The scrub jays will even rehide their food if they become aware that a potential thief has been watching them. Os gaios-do-mato vão até esconder sua comida se perceberem que um ladrão em potencial os está observando.

This means that they know that there are other hungry selves out there, Isso significa que eles sabem que existem outros eus famintos por aí,

who are aware and see the world from their own, different perspective. que estão conscientes e vêem o mundo a partir de sua própria perspectiva diferente.

Crafty scrub jays can sort of read the mind of their fellow birds. Gaios-do-mato astutos podem ler a mente de seus companheiros.

This ability to mind-read is crucial for complex levels of consciousness.

By putting yourself in the position of others, you can outsmart a rich competitor, Ao se colocar na posição dos outros, você pode ser mais esperto que um concorrente rico,

or empathise with a hungry friend. of empathie met een hongerige vriend. ou simpatizar com um amigo faminto.

Language takes the ability to read minds and represent what is absent to a whole new level. A linguagem leva a capacidade de ler mentes e representar o que está ausente a um nível totalmente novo.

Words enable us to construct hypotheses about the world,

make detailed plans, and to communicate them with others.

Words enable us to think about ourselves and our place in the universe,

and even about our own consciousness, which is something we'll be doing more in future videos. e até mesmo sobre nossa própria consciência, que é algo que faremos mais em vídeos futuros.

So, what is the origin of our consciousness?

It probably began as the directed motion of a hungry self towards a source of food. Provavelmente começou como o movimento dirigido de um eu faminto em direção a uma fonte de alimento.

With the survival benefits, this gave it over competitors that moved at random or not at all. Com os benefícios de sobrevivência, isso deu sobre os concorrentes que se moviam aleatoriamente ou não se moviam. Hayatta kalma avantajları ile bu, rastgele hareket eden veya hiç hareket etmeyen rakiplere üstünlük sağladı. It probably all started with the urge for more food. Provavelmente tudo começou com o desejo de mais comida.

So, even with the sophisticated consciousness that allows us to dream about space,

build skyscrapers, or obsess about novels, wolkenkrabbers bouwen of geobsedeerd zijn door romans, construir arranha-céus, ou ficar obcecado por romances,

it's not surprising that we can't stop thinking about where we'll get our next meal. não é de surpreender que não consigamos parar de pensar onde faremos nossa próxima refeição.

Collectively, we've put so much thought and ingenuity into getting food, Coletivamente, colocamos tanto pensamento e engenhosidade em conseguir comida,

that we can now just get our food to come to us with little conscious effort. que agora podemos simplesmente fazer com que nossa comida chegue até nós com pouco esforço consciente.

This video is part one of a three-part video series relating to big questions of life and the universe,

made possible by a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

You can find our sources and further reading in the video description, or get the consciousness book by Rupert Glasgow for free- link down below.

If you want to help us make more videos, you can do so on patreon.com,

or get one of our posters from our shop.