Posted on 09/24/2006 6:20:37 AM PDT by grjr21
Our worlds creatures are a wonder to behold.
You know, it might be a lot of fun to do as this website suggests and write to one's congressman, encouraging him to prevent the loss of breeding habitat for the endangered Tree Octopus. See what kind of response you get.
People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.
When she said that, it was MY first thought as well!
What better place to study "Animal Behavoir" than at a human wedding...:)
I don't think it is that...it is just that there is a certain TYPE of intelligence that we consider a basic tenet of human rationality...and up to recently, it has not been shown to be present in non-primates.
There are a lot of people who can agree that intelligence can be measured in a variety of ways, and while certain South Pacific aboriginal peoples may not have mathematical intelligence that would have stood them in good stead amongst the people who were involved in the Manhattan Project, the people in the Manhattan Project for the most part would have been very hard pressed to survive in the jungles of New Guinea with no food and water, where the natives would be able to do it quite handily. (NOTE: THIS IS NOT CULTURAL RELATIVISM I HAVE JUST DEFINED!)
If that "human" characteristic is there in animals, researchers have not been able to find a way to allow animals to demonstrate it for us, confirming they have it as well as us.
Now, I am not an animal behavoirist, and I do not play one on television, so take this with a grain of salt. But it has been my impression that mathematical skill is the domain of humans. That is, some higher level animals may be able to count, but it has not been demonstrated that they can take two counts and combine them and assign a numerical representation for a sum.
Sounds to me like this "Alex" is getting kind of close to that.
Of course I realized it's a joke. That's why I think it would be hilarious to write to senators and congresscreatures, asking them to support "the preservation of habitat for this endangered animal species which is so vital to the balance of our ecosystem." Imagine, you might get responses from congressional staffers who took it seriously and would write back about the great Senator's deep and abiding concern for this unfortunate animal!
Good God! Those things are creeping around in trees? That would make it a good 2-3 feet from tip to tip!
I must admit...the site seems to be edited and maintained by the kind of people I generally try to avoid. But interesting nonetheless! Thanks!
Much more so than other land dwelling invertebrates...such as liberals...:)
Ha! That's great! (The octopus was probably...bored!)
We had a Carin Terrier. When she was sick my mom would ask her if she wanted to go to the vet? She'd head for the door, get in and out of the car, and walk into the vet's office off the leash.
People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.
Couldn't have said it better.
My point was is that people (in my opinion) in general, do not think animals are automatons. They only need to see a domestic dog or cat to understand that.
But when they hear stories of crows bending a wire to use as a tool to get food, or an octopus sneaky enough to both leave its tank in an aquarium to get food, and then to cover its tracks to the point of replacing its lid back on its tank, they often ARE amazed.
I must admit...the site seems to be edited and maintained by the kind of people I generally try to avoid. But interesting nonetheless! Thanks!
Read the site again. Check on the links of the other 'endangered' creatures. Check out the advocacy groups, such as PETP.
Again, read the site very carefully. ;-)
>>People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.<<
That would be me, except I wouldn't call them mindless any more than I would call my computer "CPUless".
Both interpret information and process according to their pre-programming.
It slithered across the tops of the tanks to another tank, pulled the top off, reached inside with its tentacles and grabbed a fish, pulled its tentacles out, put the top back on the tank, went back to its own tank, went inside, pulled its own tank top back on, and had dinner!!!!!!!!
I have parrots and have followed Alex's story for years. I ALSO had an octopus as a pet. . . they are VERY SMART creatures. Unfortunately, when mine decided to take a nightly stroll outside of his tank, he fell off the desk and couldn't get back up.
Myna must have been a democrat.
ROTFLMAO! It never occurred to me!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.