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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, September 5, 2025 /EINPresswire / -- What if consciousness began 500 million years ago as a survival instinct? Renowned philosopher and scientist Alastair Waterman explores this provocative question in his newly released book, The Sense of Meaning: From Ancient Instincts to Artificial Minds. Blending evolutionary biology, neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, Waterman argues that consciousness emerged as a "sense of meaning" to enhance adaptive learning in early vertebrates.

The book introduces groundbreaking concepts, including the learning hypothesis, a model of adaptive irritability, phenomenological neuroplasticity (dynamic brain rewiring), and the innovative Sense of Meaning Test (SMT) to evaluate consciousness in both biological and artificial systems.“This book redefines consciousness as a bridge between our evolutionary past and the future of AI. I believe the hard problem of consciousness consists of five aspects-physical, biological, psychological, social, and cultural-and this book addresses the first two,” says Waterman.

Currently #1 in Amazon's Hot New Releases in Consciousness & Thought, The Sense of Meaning is available for £2.99 (Kindle), as well as in paperback and hardcover.

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