(December 16, 2009 at 9:40 pm)padraic Wrote:Quote:It's definitely a development in intelligence, which is being noted to be increasing in multiple species.
Do you think that is the case? I''m no saying you're wrong. However,isn't a simpler explanation that science has been doing what it's supposed to do? IE continue to question and observe. A over recent years I've noticed a broadening of the very notion of intelligence.Some birds,such as crows and parrots for example are now recognised as being highly intelligent..EG crows have been observed MAKING A TOOL TO MAKE ANOTHER TOOL. I've actually seen a Magpie (Piping Shrike) with a broken beak use a twig to dig grubs out of the ground.
OR it may be combination: Surely an increase in intelligence is predictable within evolution,for many species? I guess I'd be surprised if some of the older species such as sharks and reptiles begun to get smarter. Its' also pretty startling to see an invertebrate display such a change.- The event demonstrates a basic difference between science and religion.Science is excited and challenged by such an event.Religion is more likely to be threatened by anything which challenges the status quo.
Every life form has intelligence on some level, and yes some of it is definitely because we are getting better at observing, but for an animal like that to be using external objects in such a way is something that has not been observed before and while it may be the case that we had simply not noticed there does seem to be a trend towards higher intelligence albeit a very very subtle curve.
For example there has just been a discovery recently of Chimps using spears to kill prey hiding in tree trunks, they take a stick, break off the branches and sharpen it with their teeth - this same group of chimps has been under observation for over 40 years and yet all of a sudden they are fairly commonly seen using spears. This suggests to me that something changed in this population over the last few generations, most likely they have developed a better ability to teach and instruct, so that one who discovers something by whatever means has the ability to convey the idea to another who in turn can pass that information on through the generations. It has often been thought that the main reason the relative primates were left behind by our species is that they lacked out ability to teach - which is something that leads to discoveries being passed down through generations, a continuation of culture much like a snowball effect that means subsequent generations don't have to continually rediscover what their ancestors had learned and you end up with a stockpile of techniques that in turn leads to them being bought up and ingrained in the idea that the natural world has practical, beneficial applications that can assist in life.
When you develop the understanding that nature has practical application you have the ability to search actively for these applications consciously rather than instinctively reaching for a stick and finding a use or accidentally discovering thins. How long is it going to take for these chimps that use spears to realize that rocks may also be useful for hunting? I sorta see a very slow trend towards intelligence for certain animals - i really hope it happens.
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