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No consciousness without continents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2026

Malcolm A. MacIver Open the ORCID record for Malcolm A. MacIver [Opens in a new window]  and
Daniel A. Dombeck Open the ORCID record for Daniel A. Dombeck [Opens in a new window]
Malcolm A. MacIver*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA maciver@northwestern.edu Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA Department of Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA d-dombeck@northwestern.edu https://robotics.northwestern.edu/people/profiles/faculty/maciver-malcolm.html http://www.dombecklab.org/
Daniel A. Dombeck*
Affiliation:
Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA d-dombeck@northwestern.edu https://robotics.northwestern.edu/people/profiles/faculty/maciver-malcolm.html http://www.dombecklab.org/
*
*Corresponding author.
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Consciousness arose through natural selection. Yet, few accounts suggest how it garnered selective benefit. Fleming & Michel provide a testable thesis: separating the real from the hypothetical, triggered by the profligate generativity of land for possible futures, is essential for a land animal to survive. Unexplained in the account is conscious planning, important for humans and perhaps other animals.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e181
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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