The answer is an emphatic "yes they are sentient" because the meaning of the word "sentient" is defined as "Experiencing sensation or feeling." which implies they have to have a nervous system, which they do.
Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentience
Whales are sentient beings and therefore shouldn't be hunted.
"Certainly not in the same sense as human beings. You could say that they have "insect nature", and perhaps even "Buddha Nature". But they are not sentient." This answer seems to contradict itself....."Certainly not in the same sense as human beings" on one hand and then "But they are not sentient." on the other......Maybe the answer should have been - "yes they are sentient, but not in the same sense as human beings." - but this also is not satisfactory because obviously they are not the same as human beings.Therefore the answer should be an emphatic "yes they are sentient" because the meaning of the word "sentient" is defined as "Experiencing sensation or feeling." which implies they have to have a nervous system, which they have, although rudimentary compared with ours.Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentience
If you are taking our Solar System as some kind of socio-political entity, then one could call human beings "Solarians", to indicate that we are "members" of the Solar System. At the moment, we are the only sentient members of this system, though millions of types of non-sentient members, primarily of Earth, exist.
When a person is described as being sentient, it means that they are perceptive, and have a conscious mind. You could also say that a sentient person is observant and takes things in.
I think you mean "photosynthesize". Plants are not sentient beings, and therefore, can not assert a hypothesis. This is as detailed as it gets, and explains it much better than I could hope to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis#In_plants
No, but, they could sting whales.
Depends on what the UFOs are. They could have not needs/wants (ie. they are inanimate objects). They can have base needs (ie. they are animals with no name seeking only the necessities of life [food, shelter, breeding]). They can have complex needs (ie. they are sentient beings with agendas).
No...how could sentient, man-eating vines be real?
If you are taking our Solar System as some kind of socio-political entity, then one could call human beings "Solarians", to indicate that we are "members" of the Solar System. At the moment, we are the only sentient members of this system, though millions of types of non-sentient members, primarily of Earth, exist.
Because it could kill the whales
Although blue whales tend to be solitary creatures, the correct term for a group of any whales, including blue whales, is a pod. e.g. A pod of blue whales suggests that multiple whales are together.
It could be if you fish near a whale feeder. which is a place where whales eat a lot. Whales will not run out of fish.