The evolution of sensation-reflexes-language & intelligence

[funincluded]

Darwinism is archaic

That has nothing to do with modern evolutionary theory

[WhatTheFUCKduhIduh]

prove it

[GwydionMapDon]

Research it. He knew nothing of things like genetic drift or the distinction of punctuated equilibrium versus gradualism, for instance. Darwin wanted the theory to grow beyond him and, unsurprisingly, it has. He was really on to something but he didn't even know about the existence genetics which is at the basis of modern evolutionary theory.

[TrenchantAtheist]

Not only can birds solve problems, as this video alluded to, but they also have a sense of the aesthetic. In the book "Genome", Matt Riddley describes how scientists would manipulate a bird's nest in their absence, and how the bird would return and reconfigure the nest to its original form. When scientists arranged the nests in such a way as they couldn't be restored to their previous state (such as gluing pieces together), the bird would tear the whole thing apart and make a new one altogether.

[TrenchantAtheist]

These tests clearly showed that birds were using some unknown criteria for making their nests, and had a definite sense of what types of designs were preferred and which ones weren't. Genetics cannot account for man-made objects, such as the blue Sprite bottle caps which many birds are fond of... which means their preferences must be dynamic, and yet still extensively discriminatory. They are, on some level, demonstrating an artistic lament.

[WhatTheFUCKduhIduh]

not likely. it could be as simple as that the blue bottle cap look similar to the blue sky in which that frequently soar. iow, familiarity. just because birds "like" blue bottle caps doesn't make them just as special as us. yeah they got consciousness, but that doesn't me that they're anywhere near human level intelligence or emotion.

[WhatTheFUCKduhIduh]

not likely. it could be as simple as that the blue bottle cap look similar to the blue sky in which they frequently soar. iow, familiarity. just because birds "like" blue bottle caps doesn't make them just as special as people. yeah they have consciousness, but at a much, much lower level. it also doesn't mean that they're anywhere near our human level intelligence or emotion.

[WhatTheFUCKduhIduh]

not likely. it could be as simple as that the blue bottle cap looks similar to the blue sky in which they frequently soar. iow, familiarity. just because birds "like" blue bottle caps doesn't make them just as special as people. yeah they have consciousness, but at a much, much lower level. it also doesn't mean that they're anywhere near our human level intelligence or emotion.

[TrenchantAtheist]

WhatTheFuck said, "just because birds "like" blue bottle caps doesn't make them just as special as people"

That isn't what I'm saying. I said nothing of being "special" or intelligent or emotional... what I'm saying is that they clearly have a distinct "taste", as in artistic inclination. When something doesn't "look" right, they disassemble the nest and make a new one -- they are not being indiscriminate in their motifs, and random rearrangements by scientists are rejected by the birds.

[Solthiel]

I've found that the difference between our consciousness and other species' consciousness is better termed as a difference in 'sentience'. So far, we are the only species that has enough advanced sentience to understand what an atom is.

[TWITfromURANUS]

"""we can't win, because there really is no game to play"""

Then we can't lose either.

Hallelujah!

¦:¬)

[WhatTheFUCKduhIduh]

dummest thing i ever heard, "we can't win, because there really is no game to play Then we can't lose either. Hallelujah!"

DUH, if it were true that we can't win then that would mean we are destined to lose no matter what, not that we can't lose. i believe we can win though. Whatever "winning" really means. LOL

[pyrrho314]

it actually took a half a million years to get a decent knowledge base... so we have 300,000-400,000 years to go until then.

[inmendham]

"""so we have 300,000"""

Dream on.... we are just selfish addicts ... The simple, already known, truth is we can't win, because there really is no game to play.

[SeeProfileForDetails]

@inmendham if we were selfless computer machines that just did stuff like print pages and pages of 1's and 0's how would that be interesting or useful for the world? Imagine a computer printing millions of pages over and over, what would be the point? it would be a selfless printer without pain, but why?

[p717]

It's funny. I've argued with some who seem to think humor is one of our uniquely "human" attributes, but I see plenty of humorous behavior in primates.

/watch?v=t4aPGtx7e6k

/watch?v=kscul2Oxe-Y

[captainmutiny]

I've never understood how some people can own a dog, and not believe it's concious.

[WannabeKiwiBoy]

Nicely explained - I can see the timeline in my head.

[icareforyoualot]

Birds are fucking smart... My mom has a 70 year old parrot passed on from my grandma and that bird will look through you eyes and into your soul. That fucking bird scares the shit out of me...

[icareforyoualot]

I think the neanderthals actually had more potential than us.. But we killed them all.. oh well.. nature doesn't favor long haired hippy cromagnons.

[icareforyoualot]

what's wrong with your video.. is your crappy homebuilt computer overheating?

[Dem212]

Home built computers are almost always better, with better cooling systems than the alternative you silly fucker.

[SuperiorMind]

Exactly.

[SeeProfileForDetails]

@Dem212 home built computers are worse, because the parts don't come working out of the factory and they have compatibility problems with many operating systems, whereas a factory computer comes working pretty darn good out of the factory (there are exceptions but the computer could not be sold with good customer ratings if it didn't work properly)