• Question: What is consciousness?

    Asked by jodlington to Kate, Kieren, Nicola, Rowena, Roy on 14 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Rowena Fletcher-Wood

      Rowena Fletcher-Wood answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      Consciousness is a level of awareness where you respond to things and process things by choice. There are various levels of consciousness, and when you do first aid you have to check these. Uf someone is not fully conscious they should still repond to pain stimulus if you poke them but may not respond to voice stimulus if you ask them to sit up. However they can be a bit more conscious and sit up on command, but are not enough conscious to answer a question.

      Consciousness is processed by the front bit of our brain although some of these other stimuli like touch are processed elsewhere in the brain. Scientists can examine this by putting someone in an MRI scanner and poking them and talking to them to see whih bits of their brains light up.

    • Photo: Kate Nicholson

      Kate Nicholson answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      Consciousness is defined as the state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings. However, precisely what it is is up for debate amongst philosophers even today – what do you think?

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