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Q: Are animals intelligent?
Submitted By: tontamoo, 42 days, 22 hours, 56 minutes ago
“Surely animals cannot be intelligent — they can only do what their genes tell them.” Is the latter statement true, and does it imply the former?
Please try not to post duplicate answers... if you see an answer that you want to post, just add a vote to it and you can add a note as well. Thank You
6
2
Surely they are
Genes encode proteins they do not encode behavior or intelligence per se. Although the genes that any animal may posess set limits on what an animal may be capable of, environmental factors play a very large role. External stimuli constantly change the expression of genes and changes in expression during various developmental stages can lead to enormous amounts of variation in any population. The buzz word for this these days is Epigenetics. Many primates have been shown to use tools, dogs which have co-evolved with humans have an enormous capacity to understand human commands and emotions, dolphins have been shown to have self awareness, and there are many other examples of animal intelligence. Check out this National Geographic article on a recent scientific study. It basically says that intelligence arises from culture, the ability to have a society in which ideas can be transfered within a population to subsequent generations. This would explain why some of the most social animals are also the "smartest" humans, dolphins, elephants, wolves/dogs, and other primates. So I would say that while many animals are not capable of intelligent behavior there are many examples of animals other than humans that have shown evidence of intelligent behavior and a learning capacity that goes far beyond mere hard-wired instincts.
Submitted By: I wish I knew
2
0
Difficult to define
Submitted By: Agent0100 ( 41 days, 10 hours, 23 minutes ago )
What intelligence means is actually somewhat vague. If we base intelligence on the sentience which humans display, then the question becomes slightly less complicated.
Is intelligence simply making decisions? Is the ability to learn new behaviors individually and as a group a requirement? Does communication come into play? How complicated do the decisions, learned behaviors, and communications have to be?
There have been studies that show forests have behavior. For example, when a certain bird or insect begins to show up in one region of a forest, distant trees begin to produce a protective chemical which helps protect against or ward off the intruders. This may simply be a case of large scale ecosystem function, but it may also indicate communication among trees.
While this example may seem silly or inconsequential to many, the question of intelligence is hardly an established definition.
NASA has a great vested interest in the study of life and intelligence which will hopefully bring forth fascinating new discoveries about us here on earth as well as potential beyond.
Is intelligence simply making decisions? Is the ability to learn new behaviors individually and as a group a requirement? Does communication come into play? How complicated do the decisions, learned behaviors, and communications have to be?
There have been studies that show forests have behavior. For example, when a certain bird or insect begins to show up in one region of a forest, distant trees begin to produce a protective chemical which helps protect against or ward off the intruders. This may simply be a case of large scale ecosystem function, but it may also indicate communication among trees.
While this example may seem silly or inconsequential to many, the question of intelligence is hardly an established definition.
NASA has a great vested interest in the study of life and intelligence which will hopefully bring forth fascinating new discoveries about us here on earth as well as potential beyond.
1
0
Gray matter
Submitted By: InfiniteMonkeys ( 39 days, 9 hours, 48 minutes ago )
We have to learn to accept that, in matters of intellect, consciousness, and feeling, there are no rungs on the ladder. We long ago decided animals failed to posess some criteria that humans posess, that monkeys don't write poems or build houses, but every time we test, we fail to find the ineffible difference.
I don't know about Dolphins and whales, whose brains are as large and complex as humans, but most animals think less, feel less, and are less self-aware. But to lump apes and earthworms together is a crime of vanity that limits our personal growth in the same way racism limits the growth of society.
Reject the premise of the question.
I don't know about Dolphins and whales, whose brains are as large and complex as humans, but most animals think less, feel less, and are less self-aware. But to lump apes and earthworms together is a crime of vanity that limits our personal growth in the same way racism limits the growth of society.
Reject the premise of the question.