fish also lack a laminated and columnar organization of neural regions that are strongly interconnected by reciprocal feedforward and feedback circuitry
Yeah that doesn’t mean much in itself: “Laminated and columnar” is how the neurons are arranged in space, but what matters algorithmically is how they’re connected. The bird pallium is neither laminated nor columnar, but is AFAICT functionally equivalent to a mammal cortex.
Which seems a little silly for me because I’m fairly certain humans without a cortex also show nociceptive behaviours?
My opinion (which is outside the scope of this series) is: (1) mammals without a cortex are not conscious, and (2) mammals without a cortex show nociceptive behaviors, and (3) nociceptive behaviors are not in themselves proof of “feeling pain” in the sense of consciousness. Argument for (3): You can also make a very simple mechanical mechanism (e.g. a bimetallic strip attached to a mousetrap-type mechanism) that quickly “recoils” from touching hot surfaces, but it seems pretty implausible that this mechanical mechanism “feels pain”.
(I think we’re in agreement on this?)
~~
I know nothing about octopus nervous systems and am not currently planning to learn, sorry.
Yeah that doesn’t mean much in itself: “Laminated and columnar” is how the neurons are arranged in space, but what matters algorithmically is how they’re connected. The bird pallium is neither laminated nor columnar, but is AFAICT functionally equivalent to a mammal cortex.
My opinion (which is outside the scope of this series) is: (1) mammals without a cortex are not conscious, and (2) mammals without a cortex show nociceptive behaviors, and (3) nociceptive behaviors are not in themselves proof of “feeling pain” in the sense of consciousness. Argument for (3): You can also make a very simple mechanical mechanism (e.g. a bimetallic strip attached to a mousetrap-type mechanism) that quickly “recoils” from touching hot surfaces, but it seems pretty implausible that this mechanical mechanism “feels pain”.
(I think we’re in agreement on this?)
~~
I know nothing about octopus nervous systems and am not currently planning to learn, sorry.