If it can memorize stimuli and adapt to it, and actively engage in actions (such as closing it’s leaves when touched) doesn’t that mean, that’s it’s actually conscious?
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Probably not.
We don’t really have a great definition of conscious – we define it as being aware of and reacting to stimulus, but what does “being aware” really mean? Clearly it _reacts_ to stimulus, but lots of things _react_ without being aware. My bathroom lights _react_ to motion, but I wouldn’t call them conscious because they aren’t really _aware_ of me.
We have little evidence that plants have a nervous system advanced enough to have a concept of self vs. not self, and thus not enough capability to really have a consciousness.
No. Some plants have sensors that stimulate cells to change their internal pressure. This is how venus flytraps work. In fact, one could argue that a flytrap is more intelligent than a mimosa because the flytrap can count to two (it needs to be touched twice on a sensor hair, or once on two different hairs) to trigger the trap to shut.
The fact that something has a crude nervous system that reacts to the environment doesn’t mean it’s conscious or self-aware.
Every living thing reacts to stimuli. Consciousness implies a sense of self and thoughts separate from other things, which plants have no evidence for.
That closing of leaves is a reaction to an action (touching).
Its basically the same thing as when a fly triggers the hairs on a venus fly trap. THey are not consciously doing it. And it has been adapted to remove false alarms (like rain) such that it takes multiple triggers on the hairs for it to close, not just one.
A sensor senses stimuli. The sensor sends a signal for a reaction to occur.
We can’t even *prove* that other humans are conscious, and you think we can say for certain a plant is? That’s a bridge too far
Consciousness would require rational thinking and decision making, this is more like a nervous response. A moth will always be drawn to a flame repeatedly until it goes up in flames because it is acting on mindless impulse.
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Long story short, if you have one of those upright torch lamps, don’t remove the glass cover because some stupid moth will land on it, burst into flame, and land on the carpet while you and your brother are so stoned you can’t stop laughing long enough to save the carpet.
No, it’s simply reacting to stimuli. All living things react to their environment and adapt. Consciousness is an awareness of self. If you showed an animal a mirror, and it realizes the animal copying its movement is itself then it’s conscious. If the creature doesn’t then it probably doesn’t even know that “it” is a living breathing thing.
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