[b4ke]

as long as we have had civilization scale organizing principles, we have had intelligence of a general nature. I feel much of the conversation at this point is litigating the past.... to what end though?

you mention consciousness relative to organisms and their possession of it. Yet if it is not understood well-enough in ourselves, how can you say something does or does not possess it?

back the original idea, if these intelligence of scale have existed as a guiding force (ONE can hope).... I imagine there is going to be a flag that will have to be flipped before there is the "imagined threat of doom timeline" transpiring.