New work explores why consciousness evolved and what observing birds can teach us about its biological purpose.

"One Hand Clapping" draws from neuroscience, evolution, philosophy and a rich tapestry of cultural references to examine how ...

When René Descartes watched a mechanical figure move with lifelike precision in the 17th century, the scene unsettled him.

The brain is a physical organ—that much is clear to everyone. But how do we understand the mind and consciousness—what is it and how did it evolve? Source: Thinkstock Do you think of yourself as ...

Back at the turn of the penultimate century, the Spanish biologist Santiago Ramón y Cajal used a new staining technique that allowed scientists to see, for the first time, the individual cells of the ...

Consciousness evolved in stages, starting with basic survival responses like pain and alarm, then expanding into focused awareness and self-reflection. These layers help organisms avoid danger, learn ...

Finally, we get to the evolution of the human species, whose brains have reflective consciousness (and abstract, symbolic mental representations)—the ability not only to imagine and to plan but also ...

Understanding the biological basis of consciousness or subjective experience is one of the most exciting and challenging projects of this century. For many reasons, an evolutionary approach to this ...