Consciousness likely not unique to earthlings, paper says

# Summary Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness is likely not unique to Earth-based biology and could exist in life forms with radically different chemical compositions, applying the philosophical concept of "substrate flexibility" to suggest consciousness can arise in diverse materials just as cups can be made from different substances. Given the estimated 1 trillion galaxies, billions of potentially habitable planets, and the diversity of nervous systems even on Earth, the authors contend it would be surprising if consciousness evolved only in Earth-like biochemistry. While the paper leaves open the possibility of conscious artificial intelligence, the authors do not make definitive claims but rather propose that the universe likely contains forms of consciousness far stranger than we can currently imagine.