Landmark study on the origins of consciousness

I originally tried to post this 5/4
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250430142233.htm
They did the experiments in 2019, but took them 6 years to publish.  My take is that it is likely that they did not collect the data that they needed, and didn't plan the experiments correctly so that they could collect relevant data and make inferences from the data that was collected.  It seems to be nuts that they still can't get a handle on the how the sensory functions of the brain interact to account for the development of what they want to call consciousness.
The brain obviously evolved to process sensory data and send signals to control motor functions in order to react to the sensory data. Consciousness is pretty much a reaction to the sensory data.  They need to figure out how all the sensory functions of the brain evolved to process sensory input, and evolve reflex reactions to sensory data.  At some point the brain evolved the ability to consciously get the brain to send signals to reproduce what had evolved to be originally be reflex reactions.  You need to have the sensory feedback, and the ability to process what reflex reactions are occurring and what they do.  You need to develop some type of memory storage, and the ability to process and use the memories to get the brain to do things that are not just reflex reactions.  Once you can recall what happens due to certain stimuli and develop the means to produce the same reactions without the stimuli you are on your way to understanding the existence of yourself.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08888-1
Ron Okimoto