HungerBAD:
Are humans not Animals too?

RobinHez:
There's no consensus on the question of what makes us special, or whether we even are. The biggest point of contention is whether our cognitive abilities differ from those of other animals "in kind," or merely in degree. Are we in a class by ourselves or just the smartest ones in our class?
Charles Darwin supported the latter hypothesis. He believed we are similar to animals, and merely incrementally more intelligent as a result of our higher evolution. But according to Marc Hauser, director of the cognitive evolution lab at Harvard University, in a recent article in Scientific American, "mounting evidence indicates that, in contrast to Darwin's theory of a continuity of mind between humans and other species, a profound gap separates our intellect from the animal kind."

1. Generative computation

Humans can generate a practically limitless variety of words and concepts. We do so through two modes of operation recursive and combinatorial. The recursive operation allows us to apply a learned rule to create new expressions. In combinatorial operations, we mix different learned elements to create a new concept.

2. Promiscuous combination of ideas

"Promiscuous combination of ideas," Hauser explained, "allows the mingling of different domains of knowledge such as art, sex, space, causality and friendship thereby generating new laws, social relationships and technologies."

3. Mental symbols

Mental symbols are our way of encoding sensory experiences. They form the basis of our complex systems of language and communication. We may choose to keep our mental symbols to ourselves, or represent them to others using words or pictures.

4. Abstract thought

Abstract thought is the contemplation of things beyond what we can sense.

"This is not to say that our mental faculties sprang fully formed out of nowhere," Hauser wrote. "Researchers have found some of the building blocks of human cognition in other species. But these building blocks make up only the cement foot print of the skyscraper that is the human mind. The evolutionary origins of our cognitive abilities thus remain rather hazy. Clarity is emerging from novel insights and experimental technologies, however."

source: http://www.livescience.com/33376-humans-other-animals-distinguishing-mental-abilities.html

johnydon22:

[b]I think just like different classes of animals differ drastically in intellect and cognitive ability, it is right to say humans tower above them all in intellect.

The intellective capability of a goat differs drastically with that of a monkey. . Humans just show a more refined and defined attributes which maybe said are shared by others animals too.

E.g:Language, a mode of communication. it is still okay to point out that humans are not the only ones to possess this ability because other animals too possess their own methods of communication and rightly language. Don't you think the postulation that humans are the only animals with the ability of a limitless word treasure is just a human perception because first we have no idea what animals are saying when they communicate how then can we know if they invent new communicative concepts or not.
For what we know they might just be seeing our own communicative method just exactly the way we see theirs.


Again the idea of creating new laws and societal relationships are also traits that can be found in other animals.
Chimps are known to ostracize a member of the pack who kills another or does something against the pack, penguins are known to mate for life while Gauls can kill a partner for cheating.
Things like arts, technologies too are also depicted in this case from the human point of view. . A bird can build a nest so precisely that it marvels us sometimes, that too is also a highly defined art supposing humans are the ones that achieved this feat and again it should also be clear that for a bird to build a nest shows that it possess the technological know how on how to go about it because you can agree with me that it involves accurate measurement and architectural wizardry.

So you see, we compare our abilities with other animals based on our own perception and not theirs.

A nairalander once asked me on BBM: "why is it that when a human kills another human it is a problem but when he kills a chimpanzee it is not a problem, does it mean that humans are more valuable than chimps?"

my reply was: I think value in this case is subjective because when you reverse the equation you will see that when a chimp kills another chimp other chimps care and its a big problem but when a chimp kills a human other chimp don't even care about that showing that to them also their own kind is more important and valuable than others.

Humans share many things in common with other animals, but just like the intellect of every animal differs so too is the human intellect distinguished from others which i think makes us think ourselves more unique and better[/b]

Teempakguy:
impressive analysis.

This night crawler, you are still awake

johnydon22:

This night crawler, you are still awake

johnydon22:

[b]I think just like different classes of animals differ drastically in intellect and cognitive ability, it is right to say humans tower above them all in intellect.

The intellective capability of a goat differs drastically with that of a monkey. . Humans just show a more refined and defined attributes which maybe said are shared by others animals too.

E.g:Language, a mode of communication. it is still okay to point out that humans are not the only ones to possess this ability because other animals too possess their own methods of communication and rightly language. Don't you think the postulation that humans are the only animals with the ability of a limitless word treasure is just a human perception because first we have no idea what animals are saying when they communicate how then can we know if they invent new communicative concepts or not.
For what we know they might just be seeing our own communicative method just exactly the way we see theirs.


Again the idea of creating new laws and societal relationships are also traits that can be found in other animals.
Chimps are known to ostracize a member of the pack who kills another or does something against the pack, penguins are known to mate for life while Gauls can kill a partner for cheating.
Things like arts, technologies too are also depicted in this case from the human point of view. . A bird can build a nest so precisely that it marvels us sometimes, that too is also a highly defined art supposing humans are the ones that achieved this feat and again it should also be clear that for a bird to build a nest shows that it possess the technological know how on how to go about it because you can agree with me that it involves accurate measurement and architectural wizardry.

So you see, we compare our abilities with other animals based on our own perception and not theirs.

A nairalander once asked me on BBM: "why is it that when a human kills another human it is a problem but when he kills a chimpanzee it is not a problem, does it mean that humans are more valuable than chimps?"

my reply was: I think value in this case is subjective because when you reverse the equation you will see that when a chimp kills another chimp other chimps care and its a big problem but when a chimp kills a human other chimp don't even care about that showing that to them also their own kind is more important and valuable than others.

Humans share many things in common with other animals, but just like the intellect of every animal differs so too is the human intellect distinguished from others which i think makes us think ourselves more unique and better[/b]

RobinHez:
johnydon22 i'll like to be like u when i grow up o....

RobinHez:
johnydon22 i'll like to be like u when i grow up o....

TheHood:
front page lalasticlala

johnydon22:
lol

johnydon22:
Am not grown up yet, you may even be older than me bro. ..lwkmd

RobinHez:

no, for real....except for dat little 'ish'

i was worse than teempakguy at a time, buh i lost motivation due to so mny factors, parents and environment inclusive.
i just hope i can get back my groove

Teempakguy:
Hmmmmm . . .

RobinHez:

u dont agree to be an animal?

Teempakguy:
worse?

RobinHez:

no, for real....except for dat little 'ish'

i was worse than teempakguy at a time, buh i lost motivation due to so mny factors, parents and environment inclusive.
i just hope i can get back my groove

Teempakguy:
sounds humiliating. I agree to be a higher animal.

RobinHez:

yeah! doing things above my level, thinking of devices that will only be available in 2030 , discussing science with average girls .....almost running mad because i need to build a robot b4 i clock 18 ....

johnydon22:
am sure you will get it back, you gat it in you. . .maintain your interest, read more and learn to employ independent thinking on your own

Teempakguy:
sounds humiliating.
I agree to be a higher animal

the bolded remains the keyword whether you add higher or lower there. . the keyword remains the same

RobinHez:

still an animal

johnydon22:
the bolded remains the keyword whether you add higher or lower there. . the keyword remains the same

Teempakguy:
I don't want to build a robot before 18

Hahahahahaha na so all of una just deh claim under 18 ba

Teempakguy:
I don't want to build a robot before 18

johnydon22:
Hahahahahaha na so all of una just deh claim under 18 ba