Reason Round Table: A weekly discussion group for thoughtful, curious people

The Hard Problem of Consciousness: Evolution is incredibly efficient at building biological machines that survive and reproduce. We can imagine a 'Human Zombie' that behaves exactly like us, processes information, and avoids pain, but has 'the lights turned off' inside.
If our brains can perform all these complex functions through physical neurons alone, why did nature bother with the 'felt experience' of being alive? What does consciousness do? What purpose does it serve? What defines it and how do we know it exists?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/finding-purpose/202009/what-actually-is-consciousness-and-how-did-it-evolve#:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CUTQljK3Us

https://www.newscientist.com/article/0-why-are-we-conscious-the-answer-lies-in-other-animals-heads/

https://iep.utm.edu/hard-problem-of-conciousness/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP2swgDVl5M