Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: maica
That has to mean a consciousness exists in utero.

Most animals (including some very stupid critters) can recognize the voice of their parents. It is a low-level brain function hard-wired into animal physiology. This is not evidence of consciousness any more than it is for any other animal.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, the higher brain tissue is non-functional until several months after birth, and generally isn't fully "online" in any meaningful sense until a human is around two years old. This is one of the reasons humans don't have memory below a certain age; the parts of the brain that would store and process such memories don't function when you are born and slowly become operational over the first few years of life. The higher brain isn't fully functional until around the age of three.

56 posted on 03/09/2003 6:49:01 PM PST by tortoise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies ]


To: tortoise
As has been pointed out elsewhere, the higher brain tissue is non-functional until several months after birth, and generally isn't fully "online" in any meaningful sense until a human is around two years old.

Its too bad that false information was pointed out elsewhere and then repeated. There is no such thing as non-functional tissue in the brain. Neural function, esp. cortical function is progressively acquired. At any point in development, the tissues are functioning at their capacity. Development of the human brain follows a slow progression that peaks in the early teens. Fetal pain responses, speech, or the abilities of a 6 month old or 2 year old, are all milestones along that progression.

89 posted on 03/09/2003 8:00:05 PM PST by Nebullis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies ]

To: tortoise
I think it is splitting hairs to say there is no memory until the age of two or three. I think we are using different definitions of consciousness on this thread.

Point - how do children learn to talk before age three?

Point- how does a smoke alarm or a clock alarm awaken a sleeping person, if sleep = unconsciousness = no need for anesthesia or pain medication. Note: it was the ability of a fetus to feel pain that started the discussion on this thread.
156 posted on 03/10/2003 4:32:03 AM PST by maica
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson