Right, I agree. We’re at a point where there’s an intangible and perhaps subjective aspect of human experience (maybe it reduces to consciousness in general?) which we can’t really nail down firmly.

I’ve preferred studies I’ve seen over the ones with contradict them (usually due to study design and the rigour behind them), but I’ll have to look at yours and reassess.

I think I’ve also leaned towards environmental factors in part because it encourages more prosocial responses if your morality is inclined in that direction. That’s purely subjective, and while not colloquially driven, it isn’t scientific.

I’ll have to think about it. I did feel science was more conclusively in the environmental spectrum of cause in this context, but you’ve got me wondering just how conclusive it could be beyond “seems statistically probable” while never being close to certain. Especially without unethical studies.

I’ll dig up some studies I’ve liked over the years to compare with what you’ve got here.