animals can be ranked by their ability to formulate plans for the future. Insects, to the best of our knowledge,
do not set elaborate goals for the future. Instead, for the most part, they react to immediate situations on a moment-tomoment
basis, relying on instinct and cues from the immediate environment.
In this sense, predators are more conscious than prey. Predators have to plan ahead, by searching for places to hide,
by planning to ambush, by stalking, by anticipating the flight of the prey. Prey, however, only have to run, so they rank
lower on this scale.
Furthermore, primates can improvise as they make plans for the immediate future. If they are shown a banana that is
just out of reach, then they might devise strategies to grab that banana, such as using a stick. So, when faced with a
specific goal (grabbing food), primates will make plans into the immediate future to achieve that goal.
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