[ExI] The universe may be hiding conscious minds stranger than we can imagine

[BillK]

The universe may be hiding conscious minds stranger than we can imagine

Date: June 24, 2026
Source: University of California - Riverside
Summary: What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours?
Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that
consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in
beings built from radically different materials than those found on
Earth. Drawing on the vastness of the universe and the likely
existence of countless alien civilizations, they suggest it would be
surprisingly Earth-centric to assume that only Earth-like biology can
support conscious experience.

<https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260623083146.htm>
Quote:
Consciousness might not belong just to brains like ours—it could
emerge in alien minds, artificial systems, and forms of life stranger
than we can imagine.
Does consciousness require flesh and blood to exist?
Probably not, according to Eric Schwitzgebel, a distinguished
professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside.
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BillK