[Robotgroup] Can Animals and Robots Be Self-Aware?

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Science: Can Animals and Robots Be Self-Aware?
By Sharon Begley, Newsweek

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In the latest study, scientists tested for 
introspection in rats. Jonathon Crystal and 
Allison Foote of the University of Georgia 
trained rats to push one lever when they heard a 
short burst of static, and a second lever when 
they heard a long burst. The reward for a right 
answer was six food pellets. A wrong answer 
yielded nothing. But refusing to answer­like a 
student fleeing an exam room upon seeing the 
impossible questions­earned the rat a consolation 
prize of three morsels. Clearly, the smart 
strategy was to respond if sure of the answer, but pass if not.

The rats got almost perfect scores when they had 
to identify two-second or eight-second bursts. 
But when they heard static of intermediate 
duration and had to choose "long" or "short," 
they were twice as likely to decline the test and 
take the three pellets; they knew what they 
didn't know. To make sure the rats were truly 
introspecting, the scientists then eliminated the 
opt-out choice and required the rats to choose 
"long" or "short" for the medium bursts. The 
animals got half right, no better than guessing, 
which suggests that when they opted out it was 
indeed because they had assessed the contents of 
their mind­do I know this?­and made the rational 
choice, the scientists report in Current Biology. 
"Rats can reflect on their internal mental 
states," says Crystal. "They know when they don't 
know." Other scientists have gotten similar 
results with dolphins and rhesus monkeys, who 
also decline to take a test when they don't know 
the answer. They think about thinking.

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URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18108859/site/newsweek/


All the best....

Mike