The Francis Crick Memorial Conference: Consciousness in Human and Non‐Human Animals

The Francis Crick Memorial Conference, focusing on “Consciousness in Humans and Non-Human Animals,” aimed to provide a purely data-driven perspective on the neural correlates of consciousness. The most advanced quantitative techniques for measuring and monitoring consciousness were presented, with the topics of focus ranging from exploring the properties of neurons deep in the brainstem, to assessing global cerebral function in comatose patients. Model organisms investigated spanned the species spectrum from flies to rodents, humans to birds, elephants to dolphins, and were approached from the viewpoint of three branches of biology: anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Until animals have their own storytellers, humans will always have the most glorious part of the story, and with this proverbial concept in mind, the symposium addressed the notion that humans do not alone possess the neurological faculties that constitute consciousness as it is presently understood.