[blam]

GGG Pings.

[GSlob]

"...This is the first experiment to show that chimps don't share the same concern for the welfare of others..."
Well, what better proof is needed that they have evolved a lot. Bleeding heart liberals belong to a much lower species.

[Graymatter]

I hope this is just bad writing, not bad science. Have they tried testing a mother with her own baby for a recipient?

Have they considered that the chimps might be smart enough to understand that none will starve, that the humans are going to feed the other chimps no matter what? Is it possible that dependency has caused a breakdown of the normal emotional connections among these chimps, so they think of themselves not as responsible members of a group, but just so many interchangeable dependents/slaves/pets/welfare recipients? Is it possible that a chimp's status, his place in his society, and thus his behaviors toward others is altered, distorted or even dissolved by the human's intervention and control?
Would we humans do any better if our lives were managed by a superior species that provided for our needs and exercised total control over us?

When you think about it, we might come to despise our brothers in such an environment; and therefore do much worse by our kind than these chimps do by theirs.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam for the altruistic ping. ;')

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[Ciexyz]

Put two birds together in a cage and you'll understand the term "the pecking order". Animals are conditioned to go for "the food" for themselves first and as soon as possible. After the bird satisfies its needs, it may indulge in social behavior with the second bird, such as mutual preening and sitting side by side on the perch in a community setting.

[U S Army EOD]

Put most people under basic conditions and they will act the same.

[John O]

The findings add mystery to the origins of human altruism, a popular research topic among economists and anthropologists.

I can help them with that. We are created in God's image!