Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lillie on August 25, 2012 at 11:41am

Of course, we are not much different from animals and vice versa.  Heck, we are animals.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 13, 2012 at 11:53pm

Right Lillie - we are animals.

Permalink Reply by Napoleon Bonaparte on August 25, 2012 at 12:02pm

« L'homme n'est qu'un animal plus parfait que les autres et qui raisonne mieux. » de Napoléon Bonaparte

Permalink Reply by Pat on August 25, 2012 at 1:23pm

Plus parfait? Non. Plus évolutif adapté? Oui.

Permalink Reply by Vic Marquis on August 25, 2012 at 7:33pm

It is obvious that even among Homo Sapiens there is great variability in how brains are hardwired. Other species with highly evolved brains evolved to meet the needs of their environments and although equally intelligent and conscious, in terms of understanding each other, we may as well be on different planets. So, what makes us think that we will be able to relate in any meaningful way with beings from other worlds? The odds against that are immense.

Permalink Reply by Chris Breman on August 26, 2012 at 2:00am

Think of that when you want to buy meat...

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on August 26, 2012 at 2:04am

Yeah, make sure you cook it in a tasty enough dish that the animal will approve.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on August 26, 2012 at 5:38am

How sensitive.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on August 26, 2012 at 11:02am

Sensitive, no.  Amused, yes.

Permalink Reply by Ant Mac on September 13, 2012 at 11:36pm

And the trees and grain too, of course.

 

http://scienceray.com/biology/botany/do-trees-talk-some-scientists-...

 

We better just eat people, I hear they taste like Pork anyway, so, bacon.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on August 26, 2012 at 2:22am

The article ... at least that bit which John pasted ... gives far too vague of a statement of kinship.  There's a wide range of consciousness, most of which doesn't come close to approximating our own in breadth or depth.  Insects possess neurons, but for most or them, their neural processing is so simplistic that I think they're less likely to be conscious than is the computer on which I'm typing this.

If you want to talk about dolphins and some mollusks, you've got a completely different discussion.

Chris tried to take it a step further, and I think her post demonstrates the danger of making statements that are too broad, as this one is.

I feel no sympathy for the chicken that I just ate, earlier this evening. Chickens are stupid and seem to be little more than a vaguely complex series of responses to stimuli.  Chickens aren't high enough on the scale for me to give a damn.  The most you can say for them is that they use a similar set of tools, but that doesn't necessarily lead to a comparable end result.

A few weeks ago, I slaughtered a few colonies of ants, without a second thought, because they annoyed me.  I place that little value in both the existence of an individual ant and that of its queen.  As long as we're not wiping out a species of ant, I don't care.

Permalink Reply by Chris Breman on August 26, 2012 at 4:01am

So you thought about it; that's all I asked. I didn't tell you what to do.

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