Sentience Lecture Series

This virtual lecture series will probe the bounds and varieties of sentience. The aim is to arrive at a general theory of sentience, in all its multiplicity. All lectures are held via Zoom. Follow the links to the individual events to learn more and register.

Questions include:

• What is sentience?
• Is it contingent on the possession of a nervous system?
• How is sentience distributed beyond the human?
• How does sentience differ from intelligence (including Artificial Intelligence)?

Topics include:

• Plant-sensing
• Animal senses
• Human sentience
• Environmental-sensing
• Animate artefacts
• Machine-sensing
• New media art

Sentience is organized by David Howes, professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Sponsored by the Centre for Sensory Studies and co-sponsored by the Centre for the Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture (CISSC) and two CISSC Working Groups: Colonial, Racial and Indigenous Ecologies (CRIE) and Sensing Atmospheres.