Can we ever explain consciousness?

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

1. What do you think consciousness is?
2. Do you think animals are conscious?
3. Could a machine ever be conscious?
4. Have you ever wondered whether others see colours as you do?
5. Do you think the mind is more than the brain?
6. Which scientific mystery interests you most?

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about the mind.

Choose the word that fits.

1. Philosophers still argue about the nature of human .
2. An experience felt from the inside, such as pain, is .
3. The brain contains roughly eighty-six billion nerve cells, called .
4. We colours and sounds through our senses.
5. Looking inward to examine your own thoughts is called .
6. An animal that can feel pain and pleasure is described as .
7. Some philosophers argue that the self is an created by the brain.
8. Some scientists believe that consciousness may from complex activity in the brain.

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. consciousness is the state of being
   awareasleep onlyinvisible
2. subjective = based on personal
   feelingsmeasurementsmaps
3. a neuron is a
   nerve cellmusclebone
4. sentient = able to
   read and writefeel and perceivejump and run
5. an illusion seems real but is
   neveralwaysnot
6. to emerge = to come into
   existencea room onlydebt

Use these phrases to contrast different views.

• Whereas some argue that..., others claim that...Тоді як одні стверджують, що..., інші вважають, що...Whereas some argue that it is physical, others claim it is not.
• By contrast,...Натомість,...By contrast, machines are not thought to feel anything.
• On the other hand,...З іншого боку,...On the other hand, the evidence is limited.
• In contrast to...,На відміну від...,In contrast to earlier views, the brain is now studied directly.
• While it is true that..., ...Хоча й правда, що..., ...While it is true that neurons matter, that is not the whole story.
• The existence of qualia is debated.Існування кваліа обговорюється.The existence of qualia is hotly debated.
• It is widely believed that...Широко вважається, що...It is widely believed that animals are sentient.
• It may never be fully explained.Це, можливо, ніколи не буде повністю пояснене.It may never be fully explained.

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. Chalmers described the hard problem in the 1990s.
   TrueFalse
2. Dualism says that everything is physical.
   TrueFalse
3. Nagel asked what it is like to be a bat.
   TrueFalse
4. The text says that most researchers think current machines are conscious.
   TrueFalse
5. The text suggests that the question has been studied for centuries only by scientists.
   TrueFalse

1. What would it mean to explain consciousness?
2. Are animals sentient?
3. Could a machine be conscious?
4. Is the self an illusion?

Common mistakes: whereas / while + clause, by contrast / on the other hand + comma at the start of a new sentence, in contrast to + noun. ✗ Whereas of this → Whereas this is. ✗ In contrast of earlier views → In contrast to earlier views. ✗ By the contrast, → By contrast, ✗ While but others disagree → While others disagree.

1. Some see consciousness as fundamental,
   despitewhereas
   others see it as an illusion.
2. WhileDuring
   the brain is well studied, the mind is still a puzzle.
3. Animals can probably feel pain.
   In contrast of,By contrast,
   machines are not thought to.
4. In contrast ofIn contrast to
   earlier views, the brain is now studied directly.
5. Consciousness
   is still being studiedis still studying
   by many teams.
6. She admitted
   to not knownot knowing
   the answer.
7. Exist ofThe existence of
   qualia is debated.
8. A
   number ofnumbers of
   researchers are sceptical.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. Whereas of this view, others disagree. →
2. In contrast of earlier views, we now use scans. →
3. By the contrast, machines cannot feel. →
4. Consciousness is still studying by teams. →
5. She denied to know the answer. →
6. The exist of qualia is debated. →

Answer in detail. Use contrast and the grammar of Block 3.

1. Which view of consciousness do you find most convincing, and why?
2. Whereas some people say animals are sentient, others disagree. Where do you stand?
3. In contrast to humans, what can machines do well?
4. How should the question be studied in the future?
5. Has your own view changed while studying this topic?
6. What is the most important discovery in this block?

Three people discuss consciousness. Compare them. Who is the most confident that it can be explained? Who is the most doubtful? Whose view is closest to yours?

This is the final speaking task of Block 3. Your teacher will time you.

1. Plan for one minute, then speak for two minutes.
2. Part 1: say whether consciousness can be explained (use a contrast linker).
3. Part 2: refer to at least one idea from this block with a passive or a reporting verb.
4. Part 3: use a nominalisation and a figure expression to give your own view.

1. Have you ever wondered what consciousness is?
2. Do you think animals are conscious?
3. Would you want to know if a machine was conscious?
4. Do you trust your own memories?
5. Do you spend time thinking about your own thoughts?
6. Do you think science can answer every question?
7. Have you ever had a strange dream that felt real?
8. Which scientific mystery would you like solved?

1. Who in your life asks big questions?
2. Who in your family believes in the soul?
3. Who would you ask about the mind?
4. Who taught you to think about science?
5. Who do you know who is very self-aware?
6. Who should decide how we treat sentient animals?

1. Is consciousness the biggest mystery in science?
2. Should we treat animals differently if they are sentient?
3. Could we ever prove that a machine is conscious?
4. Is the self an illusion?
5. Should philosophy and science work together?