[Junior]

Even insects, which are little more than basic stimulus-response machines, have a drive to survive.

Remember, organisms lacking this drive would quickly disappear from the breeding population, leaving only those who had it.

[bluepistolero]

No, little lap dogs have been around forever, since ancient China, at least, and they cannot survive without doting old ladies, so that is not true either.

bluepistolero

[VadeRetro]

Even insects, which are little more than basic stimulus-response machines, have a drive to survive.

In the late seventies I lived in a roach-ridden old apartment in Fall Church, VA and became grudgingly impressed with the sophistication of some roach behaviors. I know they can't have much brain capacity, really, but they know the concept of line-of-sight and "hiding" really well. If they can see you, you can see them and they know it. They dodge expertly among boxes and cans on a shelf or counter.

I was chasing one about in such a manner and paused, hand in the air, when I realized it was making its break over the edge of the counter. I thought I'd have a clear shot at it as it tried to speed down the side. It anticipated ME and lept straight out into the air and was gone under the side molding in a flash.

Another thing they do when out in the open is freeze when they first see you. They'll let you get only so close and then they take off. That's a pretty good simulation of a rabbit by something with probably 1/500th or less of the neurons.