In Nautilus, Kristen French explores whether aliens possess consciousness. The piece examines both extraterrestrial and machine minds, challenging the assumption that conscious experience is uniquely human. If cognitive complexity generates consciousness—as the argument suggests—then the universe may harbor far more inner mental lives than we typically realize, across distant worlds and potentially in artificial systems.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton