Is your cat or dog conscious? What about fish? Or honeybees? How would you even know? Paula Droege, a philosopher at Pennsylvania State University, regularly wrestles with how to investigate these ...

In the past, many scientists believed that only mammals and birds could feel or think in complex ways. Reptiles, fish, and insects were seen as simple creatures that reacted purely on instinct. But ...

Humans have had relationships with their pets for thousands of years, talking to them, coddling them, and imbuing them with human attributes. But are these animals “thinking,” and do nonhuman animals ...

The nature of consciousness has long intrigued philosophers, scientists, and the general public alike. It raises profound questions about awareness, experience, and the very essence of being.

In 2022, researchers at the Bee Sensory and Behavioral Ecology Lab at Queen Mary University of London observed bumblebees doing something remarkable: The diminutive, fuzzy creatures were engaging in ...

A team of researchers has outlined a new approach for better understanding the depths of animal consciousness, a method that may yield new insights into the similarities and differences among living ...

Crows, chimps and elephants: these and many other birds and mammals behave in ways that suggest they might be conscious. And the list does not end with vertebrates. Researchers are expanding their ...

In the movie Hoppers, scientists “hop” human consciousness into animal-like robots to talk to other species. We asked the experts their thoughts on how conceivable the plot is.

We are in a revolutionary moment. Bees play. They push small wooden balls around with no purpose other than they seem to enjoy doing it. Parrots can reason and use a simple form of language, not just ...