Smart Animals
New research suggests that some breeds of dogs are capable of learning and remembering as well as a three-year old (which, if I recall, is the age humans learn the easiest).
One border collie has a "vocabulary" of over 200 words (http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/88/99958), which "is comparable to that of language-trained apes, dolphins, sea lions, and parrots," and is capable of a rather remarkable range of quick-learning feats the researches say even our closest relatives - chimpanzees - aren't capable of.
Which leads me to my question, are humans really as superior as we like to think?
Arammanar
15-06-2004, 05:40
The smartest dog is almost as smart as a 3 year old...yeah, we're superior.
Demonic Furbies
15-06-2004, 05:42
wow. i suddenly feel dumber.
i did hear/read about that... that's pretty awesome though.
i must say.
The smartest dog is almost as smart as a 3 year old...yeah, we're superior.
Just consider, for a moment, the fact that at some point in your waking life, when you were sentient, you were not as capable as this dog.
Think about it.
Arammanar
15-06-2004, 05:45
Yeah...when I was in the womb...
Yeah...when I was in the womb...
at some point in your waking life, when you were sentient
Arammanar
15-06-2004, 05:48
So what? I fail to see how finding one example in one species of an animal as competent as humans at their lowest level of sentience should make us question our superiority.
King Binks
15-06-2004, 05:51
It would be nice if dogs turned out to be smarter than us. I could sit around all day and bark at strangers and my owner (a dog) could go to work.
You don't see anything remarkable about an animal you don't even consider sentient scoring 70% on problem-solving tests that a chimp - the standard of "bright animal" research for decades - can't even perform?
You don't think that means that maybe, just maybe, we're not the only intelligent species on the face of the Earth? That maybe we should reconsider how we define intelligence?
If you're not willing to question your beliefs, then all you have is blind faith.
Thunderland
15-06-2004, 05:53
Bah, the testing is flawed anyways. Poor animals, having to learn a second language in the first place. 200 words of a foreign language is pretty good to me. Damned scientists not trying to learn Dogspeak in the first place!! How smart are they I ask you!
Eridanus
15-06-2004, 05:56
So what? I fail to see how finding one example in one species of an animal as competent as humans at their lowest level of sentience should make us question our superiority.
What about the other animals we have found to be capable of learning language (even if they can only understand it) like parrots, dolphins, etc. And animals like octopi are capable of deductive reasoning, and can open up bottles. Seems liek we have some animals apporoaching our mightyness.
Insane Troll
15-06-2004, 05:57
So what? I fail to see how finding one example in one species of an animal as competent as humans at their lowest level of sentience should make us question our superiority.
What about the other animals we have found to be capable of learning language (even if they can only understand it) like parrots, dolphins, etc. And animals like octopi are capable of deductive reasoning, and can open up bottles. Seems liek we have some animals apporoaching our mightyness.
If dolphins developed opposable thumbs.....oh god..... :shock:
Thunderland
15-06-2004, 05:59
So what? I fail to see how finding one example in one species of an animal as competent as humans at their lowest level of sentience should make us question our superiority.
What about the other animals we have found to be capable of learning language (even if they can only understand it) like parrots, dolphins, etc. And animals like octopi are capable of deductive reasoning, and can open up bottles. Seems liek we have some animals apporoaching our mightyness.
Mightiness is determined by whether or not a bottle can be opened? Who knew that alcoholics were the mightiest people in the world! Wow, you sure do learn something new each day.
King Binks
15-06-2004, 05:59
If dolphins developed opposable thumbs.....oh god..... :shock:
They might drink all our soda! (at least the octopi)
Interesting. How long until someone seizes this dog and starts genetic experimentation on its clones or some such?