Science buffs: Species with a truly collective consciousness?

[sparkyk24]

What is the species that is truly closest to a collective consciousness? I can't think of any, to be honest. The closest I can imagine would be ants, or other insects that have a hive mentality. But an ant doesn't actually see what other ants see. If there aren't any species that have a collective consciousness, is it scientifically possible? Like, do you think it could exist on another planet?

By collective consciousness I generally mean that the individuals all see what the other individuals see. But, anything that's close to that I'd like to know about as well. It's fascinating to me. I also need to know for when I create Zerg.

 

[Thaluikhain]

A hive mentality is nothing like a collective consciousness, it's just a colony which works well together.

There is nothing remotely like a collective consciousness known to humanity.

I don't see it being possible, myself. You'd need an infallible long range communication method, far beyond anything that has evolved naturally.

OTOH, perhaps once creatures develop a technology, they could alter themselves for this purpose. If, say, in a few centuries humans are all implanted with wireless internet.

 

[Hoplon]

The only thing that comes close to that sort of interlinking is Quantum entanglement, which is a very short lived effect. It does how ever seem to act over any distance.

 

[Esotera]

I'd say bacteria have the closest thing to collective consciousness. Most labwork doesn't study them in their natural state, which is in a biofilm with millions of other bacteria. Through quorum sensinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorum_sensing they can regulate what sort of chemicals they produce and therefore adapt intelligently to their environment. Although in practice most functions are just to get more food or keep surviving. If you used a lot of genetic modification then I guess a sentient collective consciousness might be possible in this way, but I've no idea how you'd manage that.

Also to state the obvious each human is a collective consciousness of millions of cells. They are tiny machines that cooperate with each other in order to further their survival - sentience is one product of that.

edit: forgot to say that I don't see true collective consciousness happening naturally, ever. While there aren't any theoretical limitations preventing such a system, cooperation on that sort of level is pretty much non-existent in evolution.

 

[Heronblade]

There are three possible means I am aware of for a true hive consciousness to exist

1.) In the case of technological adaptation as Thaluikhain mentions
2.) A semi permanent type of quantum interlink, which is theoretically possible, but has never been observed in reality as Hoplon mentions. This could allow for faster than light communication regardless of distance. Neat concept, but probably not actually possible to occur in nature.
3.) Telepathy, no I'm not joking. Our brains are antenna-like enough that they are fully capable of sending and receiving EM band signals. In fact, we pick up and send out signals all of the time. What we are missing is a means to focus, amplify, and translate such signals in a manner that means anything at all. Its a lot like watching a broken tv producing nothing but fuzz. With some assistance using modified EEG equipment, people in experiments have successfully passed sketchy portions of what they are thinking on to others. In one test I know of, one subject was even able to (unknowingly and only partially) control the movements of the other subject. So yeah, if a species evolves the biological equivalent of a modem and router... This one is significantly more likely than the last, but still requires a big stretch.

 

[Silvanus]

I'd say the closest thing would be something like the Portuguese Man o' War.

Despite its appearance, it's not a Jellyfish; it's composed of hundreds (or thousands) of tiny, specialised animals called Zooids.

And yet, together they form what is, in every meaningful sense, a single, larger organism.

It's just incredible. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o'_war]

 

[Stephen St.]

One Problem of the question is that we have no idea what a "consciousness" even is. I mean we know we have it, but that's about it. For all we know, an ant colony could form a consciousness where every ant is analogous to a braincell, but how would we ever find out?