what is awareness?

I know the answer to this question, but most people dont as evidenced by the AI threads lately asking what makes a machine sentient. So try and answer the question both in regards to man and machine, because before I can show you where you are wrong you have to say what it is that is wrong.

>>8
first (semi)serious answer.

Its very interesting that there is so much discussion about human AI in computers yet avoid the most basic question as to define what is human awareness