Event
About the event
Which other animals have the capacity for conscious experience? For a long time this question was neglected in science, but a new interdisciplinary field is now emerging to tackle it, drawing on expertise from neuroscience, psychology, evolutionary biology, animal welfare/veterinary science, the social sciences, and the humanities. While much uncertainty remains, some points of wide agreement have emerged. In this public-facing event, experts from across the field will meet to discuss the progress that has been made, the key points of agreement and disagreement, the most promising directions for the future, and what recognizing other animals as conscious beings means in practice for ethics and policy.
Panels
Scientific Methodology
Kristin Andrews: The history of the science of animal consciousness
Jonathan Birch: The marker method for studying animal consciousness
Moderated by David Chalmers
Vertebrate Consciousness
Noam Miller: Evidence regarding consciousness in reptiles
Anna Wilkinson: Evidence regarding consciousness in amphibians
Becca Franks: Evidence regarding consciousness in fishes
Moderated by Kristin Andrews
Invertebrate Consciousness
Alexandra Schnell: Evidence regarding consciousness in cephalopod mollusks
Robert Elwood: Evidence regarding consciousness in decapod crustaceans
Lars Chittka: Evidence regarding consciousness in insects
Moderated by Jonathan Birch
Public Policy
Cleo Verkuijl: Public policy at the global level
Katrina Wyman: Public policy at the local level
Moderated by Jeff Sebo
Thank you to our co-sponsors for supporting this event:
NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program
NYU Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness
NYU Center for Bioethics
NYU Animal Studies