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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E who wrote (32994)	3/22/1999 7:58:00 PM
From: Jacques Chitte	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

Okay - I have been semantically led astray by my hard SF novels. They use "sentient" as a code word for ... intelligent, but more than that. Intelligent and self-aware. Advise me on suitable adjectives.

To: E who wrote (32994)	3/22/1999 8:09:00 PM
From: Jacques Chitte	Respond to of 108807

Post grub

To: E who wrote (32994)	3/23/1999 2:29:00 AM
From: nihil	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

E. If a bee detects the scent of a blossom and flies to it, and then loads up on nectar, is this not cause and effect? Is it going too far to claim that something in the bee interpreted the aroma and "decided" to go for it? Does a human baby who cries when it is wet or hungry actually understand what set it off? Are not babies sentient creatures. When a bog smells a piece of cheese being taken out of the fridge, is it not sentient to come up and rub against the cheesenapper, or sit up and beg? Even systematic, built-in or learned responses that emulate rational decision process are difficult to classify as insentient. (goes for the birds, too, especially parrots.)