Defining what it means to be "conscious" is something people have been working to define for centuries. It has many definitions to many different people. To philosophers it is an elusive concept, impossible to specifically define. To environmentally friendly people it is low carbon emissions.

For our purposes there is less of a definition and more criteria:
               
                    1. All biological organisms must obey the laws of physics, both classical and quantum.
                    2. We are self-aware beings with individual feelings and thoughts (a "conscious")
                    3. There is not yet a computer able to fully simulate the human brain and consciousness