Super Smart Animals

[magma]

Did anyone watch this on BBC One? I think I was a bit late to the party... caught up during my comedown from System, but despite the slightly CBBC title and the 8pm BBC One timeslot, both episodes were absolutely fucking brilliant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01by4w1

All about the "create" symbol for dolphins, the Chimp thrashing humans in a (somewhat specialised) intelligence test and birds working out water displacement on their own... but just about all the experiments they did were eye-opening in some way or another.

Can only imagine we'll continue to be more impressed by the brains we share the planet with as we learn to communicate better across the species... I really want to sit on the ocean floor and burn one down with an octopus whilst we scheme on lobsters. Stupid lobsters.

[wub]

The 1-9 touch screen bit where the chimp manages it in like half a second was scary. I'm all for killing animals that demonstrate this level of understanding, it's the only way to stop the takeover.

[magma]

The 1-9 touch screen bit where the chimp manages it in like half a second was scary. I'm all for killing animals that demonstrate this level of understanding, it's the only way to stop the takeover.

It was how blasé he was about it that got me... "Again? Ok.... Yeah, and? What? Give me my fucking peanut you simpleton stnuc."

[wub]

The 1-9 touch screen bit where the chimp manages it in like half a second was scary. I'm all for killing animals that demonstrate this level of understanding, it's the only way to stop the takeover.

It was how blasé he was about it that got me... "Again? Ok.... Yeah, and? What? Give me my fucking peanut you simpleton stnuc."

The presenter wasn't helping matters either - I remember thinking at least a half dozen times that she was being woefully outclassed in terms of brain power next to the chimps.

[magma]

The 1-9 touch screen bit where the chimp manages it in like half a second was scary. I'm all for killing animals that demonstrate this level of understanding, it's the only way to stop the takeover.

It was how blasé he was about it that got me... "Again? Ok.... Yeah, and? What? Give me my fucking peanut you simpleton stnuc."

The presenter wasn't helping matters either - I remember thinking at least a half dozen times that she was being woefully outclassed in terms of brain power next to the chimps.

That was sort of the point of the experiment, but yeah, she has got a bit of a kids-manner for a science presenter. I've still got a bit of a thing for her, mind.



Hello.

[wub]

At least pick someone who looks like they might have a chance though, not some sub-standard Newsround wannabe.

[magma]

some sub-standard Newsround wannabe.

Slightly unfair!

...has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from [Trinity College Dublin][2] and also holds a master's in Wild Animal Biology from the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Veterinary College (2008), for which she tracked tigers in Nepal.[3][4] She continues to work on big cat conservation programmes at the Zoological Society.

[lloydnoise]

some sub-standard Newsround wannabe.

Slightly unfair!

...has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from [Trinity College Dublin][2] and also holds a master's in Wild Animal Biology from the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Veterinary College (2008), for which she tracked tigers in Nepal.[3][4] She continues to work on big cat conservation programmes at the Zoological Society.

my lady hates her because of her stuck up D4 accent (apparently). I'm quite partial myself

[wub]

some sub-standard Newsround wannabe.

Slightly unfair!

...has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from [Trinity College Dublin][2] and also holds a master's in Wild Animal Biology from the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Veterinary College (2008), for which she tracked tigers in Nepal.[3][4] She continues to work on big cat conservation programmes at the Zoological Society.

And?

Wasn't questioning her qualifications, just saying that she came across as amateurish in terms of presenting.

[James Kofi]

super smart animals = humans

[jameshk]

Watched one of these, was pretty impressive. Just goes to show that everything has potential to be great.

[ketamine]

I will only add this anecdotal observation:

Have you ever played a video game you were actually very good at (say Street Fighter) against somebody who knew NOTHING about it (girlfriend/ your mother/ some toddler) and they button mashed themselves to victory?

You're trying to do uppercuts and combos and they're hammering away at the Light Punch button only, and killing you.

To some extent I believe it's like this with animals... The Human is over-thinking, processing WAY more information, such as the fact they're up against the animal & feeling the pressure, but the animal has NOTHING on its mind but the task/food.

Thoughts?

[James Kofi]

got a few mates who love to go on about how smart animals are cos they watched a couple of david attenborough documentaries and they think going on about how 'cool' animals are in childish amazement makes them good people. stnuc.

[wub]

I will only add this anecdotal observation:

Have you ever played a video game you were actually very good at (say Street Fighter) against somebody who knew NOTHING about it (girlfriend/ your mother/ some toddler) and they button mashed themselves to victory?

You're trying to do uppercuts and combos and they're hammering away at the Light Punch button only, and killing you.

To some extent I believe it's like this with animals... The Human is over-thinking, processing WAY more information, such as the fact they're up against the animal & feeling the pressure, but the animal has NOTHING on its mind but the task/food.

Thoughts?

Are you trying to justify being shit at Street Fighter?

[ketamine]

got a few mates who love to go on about how smart animals are cos they watched a couple of david attenborough documentaries and they think going on about how 'cool' animals are in childish amazement makes them good people. stnuc.

i know the type

[magma]

To some extent I believe it's like this with animals... The Human is over-thinking, processing WAY more information, such as the fact they're up against the animal & feeling the pressure, but the animal has NOTHING on its mind but the task/food.

Depends on the animal. If people were going on about how affectionate shrimp can be, then I'd be on your side. But getting a chimp to order the numbers 1-10 in correct order with 100% accuracy or getting a parrot to count the number of red objects you're holding up to 100% accuracy isn't random in the slightest.

Edit: The chimp experiment also proves without much doubt that some chimps can process at least certain types of information quicker than humans. We're certainly not the only info-obsessed beast out there.

It's all down to how you construct experiments - good experiments don't leave room for random action - that's the point of them. I'd watch these shows, tbh... I'm as sceptical as they come and some of the results (especially with dolphins, chimps, elephants and birds) genuinely blew my mind.

[James Kofi]

when the chimps are constructing their own experiments I'll pay attention

[magma]

when the chimps are constructing their own experiments I'll pay attention

Cool - probably not worth hanging around in this thread then, you're not going to find it very interesting. There are hundreds of others you might actually have something useful to say in.

[James Kofi]

doubt it.

[kidshuffle]

haven't seen it, but i knew about the birds and water displacement. i read it on a whole article about crows, on Cracked.