Sentient
A Sentient or Sentience is an old Solomani term meaning "to feel" or "able to sense".
- It refers to a specific kind of NIL.
Library Data Referral Tree
Sophont
Description (Specifications)
Over time this definition has changed to refer to creatures that are self-aware (but not necessarily intelligent), and capable of manipulating their environment. Solomani refer to intelligent creatures as sapient, from their term "to know". Sentient refers to entire species, where individual members are termed sentients.
A sentient species may have all of the traits of sapients (...a Neural activity sensor provides a measure of intellectual capacity) without being sapient.
History & Background (Dossier)
Debate revolves around these proto-sapient species as to whether they should they be declared sapient and allowed to complete their biological and cultural evolution or left declared non-sapient. The lack of consensus on this matter has led to inconsistent declarations throughout the Imperium.
References & Contributors (Sources)
- Classic Traveller Grand Census
- Periodical: MegaTraveller Travellers' Digest No. 6 in article: 'Persons and Unpersons: What constitutes Intelligence'
- Novel: Traveller 5th Edition Agent of the Imperium
- External Link: Citations for Sophont
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science