Two Properties: Solidity And Consciousness

See Self-Programming And Consciousness and search result for mind-body problem.

Sf leads to philosophy:

interstellar civilizations lead to discussion of the nature of society;

time travel leads to discussion of the nature of time;

conscious AI leads to discussion of the nature of consciousness, which I think is the most fundamental philosophical question. 

I had some waiting time today so I thought about consciousness, an issue implicit in several major works by Poul Anderson.

Solidity is both a property of material objects and an effect of their molecular cohesion. Molecules are composed of atoms which are composed of subatomic particles interacting according to the strong and weak nuclear forces. Although there is a qualitative difference between macroscopic solidity and subatomic interactions, the latter somehow cause the former.

Consciousness is both a property of organisms with central nervous systems and an effect of electrically firing, chemically interacting neurons. Although there is a qualitative difference between consciousness and neurons, the latter somehow cause the former. 

We say that an animal or human organism is solid because it is neither liquid nor gas and also that it is conscious because of the ways in which it responds to its environment, including to other organisms. Thus, consciousness is a detectable property of certain organisms, not a discrete entity manifesting through any organisms. If this is so, then why is there alleged knowledge, even alleged experience, of postmortem mental states? I don't know but the whole subject requires further research.