Topic: How Intelligent Are Other Animals?

[Lucas DuoFlush]

If you want to read an accessible book on the evolution of human intelligence and how to understand animal intelligence as a result read Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden. Its a little dated now but it, like everything Sagan did, is grounded deeply in the philosophical and spiritual as well as the scientific.

One interesting passage talks about the abilities for chimpanzees to learn sign language (as was a popular experiment at the time). He explains that in some cases juvenile chimpanzees have learnt 100 words - equivalent to 1/10th of 'basic English'. He postulates that, given a fully devised rational education program, its possible to teach a chimpanzee full 'basic English' (along with the true understanding that comes with that) by the time its an adult. Furthermore, if taught, its possible a chimpanzee culture could develop in a particular group and over time artificial evolution would lead to them becoming excellent communicators. Food for thought.

[Corkboy]

Goats are far more clever than previously thought

[bigbonedrawky]

Goats are far more clever than previously thought

It seems nearly every animal is more intelligent than we thought.
Maybe its just that Humans are less arrogant or maybe Humans are getting more intelligent ? 
The more I learn the less I know

[Alan_X]

If you want to read an accessible book on the evolution of human intelligence and how to understand animal intelligence as a result read Carl Sagan's Dragons of Eden. Its a little dated now but it, like everything Sagan did, is grounded deeply in the philosophical and spiritual as well as the scientific.

One interesting passage talks about the abilities for chimpanzees to learn sign language (as was a popular experiment at the time). He explains that in some cases juvenile chimpanzees have learnt 100 words - equivalent to 1/10th of 'basic English'. He postulates that, given a fully devised rational education program, its possible to teach a chimpanzee full 'basic English' (along with the true understanding that comes with that) by the time its an adult. Furthermore, if taught, its possible a chimpanzee culture could develop in a particular group and over time artificial evolution would lead to them becoming excellent communicators. Food for thought.

I haven't read that but might try and find the time, especially having watched Project Nim and followed the Washoe Project.

[Corkboy]

It seems nearly every animal is more intelligent than we thought.

Yup, and we haven't even scratched the surface. We base our definition of intelligence on our own experience but we really have no idea how rich and complex other aspects of animal behaviour are. For example, dogs' sense of smell is so complex, they can smell cancer. They can smell two day old piss and recognise not only whose piss it was but when they were there and what kind of mood they were in, and that's a form of intelligence we simply don't have. They must think we are extraordinarily limited.

Oddly enough, I've read that our sense of smell and hearing started to diminish (presumably in favour of higher cognitive function) round about the time we began to hang out with dogs.

The more I learn the less I know bigger your world gets.

[Corkboy]

Only two species have domesticated other animals. We're one. Can you guess the other?

[macca888]

I don't think it's been posted before this is absolutely glorious.



<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/foahTqz7On4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/foahTqz7On4</a>

[Corkboy]

Macca, I came across that before and deliberately didn't post it. The elephants aren't really painting in the creative sense, they are just obeying trained orders and the way they allegedly train them is quite disgusting.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/elephantpainting.asp

[macca888]

Macca, I came across that before and deliberately didn't post it. The elephants aren't really painting in the creative sense, they are just obeying trained orders and the way they allegedly train them is quite disgusting.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/elephantpainting.asp

Ah bollocks, the poor elephants. 

[Ken-Obi]

@topic - Damn stupid.

How many squirrels made it as Forbes 500 magnates?

I rest my case.

[Broad Spectrum]

Extraordinary...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/26924936

[Big Red Richie]

Anyone see the Monkey programme on BBC1 tonight?

A fascinating insight into primates of various sorts, and how they adapt and learn, plus how intelligent they are.


It ended the programme with an ape who'd grown up around humans all it's life.

The ape at the end, gathered together a large pile of kindling and wood, got out a box of matches, lit the fire, then proceeded to put marshmallows on a stick, and toast them on the fire.

I shit you not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01s0zg9/Monkey_Planet_Master_Minds/

[Twelfth Man]

Anyone see the Monkey programme on BBC1 tonight?

A fascinating insight into primates of various sorts, and how they adapt and learn, plus how intelligent they are.


It ended the programme with an ape who'd grown up around humans all it's life.

The ape at the end, gathered together a large pile of kindling and wood, got out a box of matches, lit the fire, then proceeded to put marshmallows on a stick, and toast them on the fire.

I shit you not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01s0z7y/Monkey_Planet_Family_Matters/

Ape, is the keyword. Our branch. Mimicking behaviour. This can be imprinted. If an ape toasted marshmallows around a fire without any human prompting, we would have something w/r/t the where are the aliens debate.

[Corkboy]

Think this goes here.

Neanderthals were not inferior to modern humans, study finds

[Broad Spectrum]

Think this goes here.

Neanderthals were not inferior to modern humans, study finds

Love this quote:

"Researchers were comparing Neanderthals not to their contemporaries on other continents but to their successors," Villa said. "It would be like comparing the performance of Model T Fords, widely used in America and Europe in the early part of the last century, to the performance of a modern-day Ferrari and conclude that Henry Ford was cognitively inferior to Enzo Ferrari."

Very true though.

[Corkboy]

Neanderthals were Good Parents, New Study Finds

[conman]

Did anyone with the series of documentaries on orcas of bbc4 the other night? They were fascinating.

Blackish was the first, which addressed orcas in captivity, focusing on Tilikum the frustrated whale who killed and injured a few people.

There have been over 100 attacks on humans by orcas in captivity and 0 from Orcas in the wild.

[kavah]

 instinct but there must be a certain amount of intelligence to avoid all of the many hunters it must have swerved.

Oregon wolf's epic 2000 mile journey to California (where the last native wolf was shot in 1924)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/05/oregon_wolf_or-7_finds_a_mate.html#incart_most-read

there's a nice 3 minute movie at the bottom of the article.

[evie]

One of my favourite videos is monkeys on equality 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/GoE_6ncwESM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/GoE_6ncwESM</a>

I must have scrolled past this one before. Hilarious

[Corkboy]

Octopuses collect coconut shells and use them to create protective armor.

[clinical]

Animals are geniuses in their own ways

[Corkboy]

http://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_do_animals_have_morals#t-711715

[Corkboy]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/gs6n4XKApqc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/gs6n4XKApqc</a>

[Corkboy]

I'm just putting this in here to note that another animal does bionics.


Found: The First Metal-Plated Syringe in a Living Creature

Indian scientists confirm nature's first (partially) metal-plated syringe in a common parasitic wasp. source

[Broad Spectrum]

Orphaned baby rhino Gertjie refuses to sleep alone after witnessing his mother's death at the hands of poachers

[Bioluminescence]

Chimps outsmart humans in simple strategy game

[Malaysian Kopite]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/08/the-dolphin-who-loved-me

[Corkboy]

The story of an octopus who figured out how to turn off the lights in his aquarium and also chucked a chess set out of his tank when he got bored with it.

[Corkboy]

Clever crows beaten by babies in causality test.

[Corkboy]

On the topic of fish (as against dolphins, whales etc)...

"[Research] suggests that fish are, in fact, far more intelligent than many previously believed. Fish have very good memories, live in complex social communities where they keep track of individuals, and can learn from one another. This helps to develop stable cultural traditions. Fish even recognize themselves and others. They also cooperate with one another and show signs of Machiavellian intelligence, such as cooperation and reconciliation. They build complex structures, are capable of using tools, and use the same methods for keeping track of quantities as humans do. For the most part the primary senses of fish are just as good, and in many cases, better, than that of humans. Their behavior is very much the same as that of primates, except that fish do not have the ability to imitate. " source

[Broad Spectrum]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28105964

[Corkboy]

[Malaysian Kopite]

 

[Corkboy]

Missile-throwing chimp plots attacks on tourists

[Corkboy]

[Broad Spectrum]

Gentle bear saves crow from drowning

[Alan_X]

Only two species have domesticated other animals. We're one. Can you guess the other?

Ants...

They domesticated aphids and 'farm' them for honeydew.


(and I didn't sneak a peek.)

[Corkboy]

http://goo.gl/fb/DvglUd

Probably can and should also go into corky's animal intelligence thread but there is new evidence showing that some birds maybe capable of metacognition.

[Broad Spectrum]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/giant-panda-in-china-fakes-pregnancy-to-receive-nicer-food-and-roundtheclock-care-9693743.html


Incredible.

[Broad Spectrum]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/giant-panda-in-china-fakes-pregnancy-to-receive-nicer-food-and-roundtheclock-care-9693743.html


Incredible.

'Myth' debunked...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/28/china-panda-did-not-fake-pregnancy?CMP=twt_gu