A Question of Ethics

[Griffin NoName]

A cockroach is insentient-- it moves strictly based on a short list of stimulus-response engines.  But a dog is not; a dog can be sad, happy, curious, inquisitive, bored, lonely, content-- the same sorts of things a human can be, come to think of it.

Assuming that you are right and that cokcroaches do not experience curiosity, inquisitiveness, exactly how would you detect they do not experience sadness, happiness, boredom, lonliness or contentment? Personally I find cockroaches particularly hard to read.  

But a cockroach will never stroll across the kitchen floor because it's curious about what's on the other side of the room.

I don't know. Surely they might. How the hell do we know what goes through their minds?

Amd, no, I don't think it matters if we are only virtual. Except it would be nice to know in terms of experiencing nasty things.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

There's nothing but the present, more so if we are simulated.