The AI consciousness debate has a prior question nobody is asking [D]

The debate turns on whether silicon can do what neurons do computationally. The prior question - which nobody has asked - is whether silicon can do what neurons do biochemically. Here's the observation that reframes everything: general anaesthesia switches consciousness off with chemical precision while leaving the body completely operational. The brain keeps processing. The heart keeps beating. Consciousness disappears. We've had this off switch for over a century and we've never asked what it's switching off.