Thought I'd take a minute to post a speculation me and several of my colleagues have and open it up for comment.

We have good reason to believe that when different humans look at a color ... say red ... say 6943 angstroms ... they all see the same thing. We also have good reason to believe that when a bell rings they hear the same sound ... etc.

But we are far less convinced that what we view as the experience of consciousness is in fact universally shared.

In a species that historically has had an alpha male and alpha female, like a wolf pack, there is little reason for anyone other than the alpha to be able to think. The requirement for all others is to follow and when a second alpha emerges the result is invariably a fight between the alphas with only one surviving. Thus those traits that lead to leadership may be the end of the genetic trail for many.

Extend this to humans and it is reasonable that the vast majority of "morons" sitting in front of their TV watching Jerry Springer or getting emotionally involved in a televised soccer match or whatever are truly incapable of thinking the complex thoughts required to run a modern technical society.

The above inflammatory comments have been written purposefully to start a debate: Let it begin!


DA Morgan