> A computer surely isn't aware of what it is computing
A computer could be conscious without being aware of what it is computing just like a human can be conscious without being aware of what their neurons are doing.
> The concept of a threshold for consciousness doesn't seem to hold any weight to it.
So then consciousness must be a sliding scale? I would agree.
> Is the universe conscious?
I would say this is likely. If neurons and the rest of our physiology can give rise to consciousness, then I think it's likely that there are objects at larger scales than us that are conscious (at least partly) due to our behaviors.
> The concept of a threshold for consciousness doesn't seem to hold any weight to it. So then consciousness must be a sliding scale? I would agree.
> Is the universe conscious? I would say this is likely. If neurons and the rest of our physiology can give rise to consciousness, then I think it's likely that there are objects at larger scales than us that are conscious (at least partly) due to our behaviors.