View source for Talk:Species/@comment-9627550-20170825225257/@comment-6296424-20180208211953

I agree with this, and I might update the wiki to reflect it. "Sentience" is often used in science fiction to mean "self aware in the way humans are", but that's not what sentience means. "Sentience" just means they can feel things. Your pet hamster is sentient. "Sapience" means self aware and intelligent, like us. 

There are only 3 speciecs in Elite confirmed to be Sapient: Humans, Thargoids, and the Guardians. It is unclear if the species on Achenar is sapient. Life is ubiquitous in the Galaxy. Sentient life (meaning non-sapient animals) are actually uncommon. Sapient life is very very rare. 

(The above comment was mine, I just forgot to log in)