Animal Talk
Scientists discover Chimpanzee Have Words
How many animal stories have I done now that suggest there is more going on with animals than we give them credit? How many other have said as much, and were dismissed as being too anthropomorphic? Hypothetically, if humans are just biological entities, doesn’t it stand to reason we would resemble all other life forms, because we are that? I think there’s more going on with us than we identify or are even able to articulate. Funny, I have said that about animals, and am amused when scientist finally discover animals may be communicating in ways even we can’t articulate.
The founding father of sociology stated the difference between humans and animals is language. The foundation of sociology is predicated on a falsehood that no one can challenge because no one is allowed to compare human sociology to animal sociology.
If sociology thing, it will have attributes that are reducible to all sentient beings.
Animals have language. Gorillas, chimpanzees, dolphins, and many many others. Crows recognize human words, regional dialect, and are confounded by foreign languages.
The next argument is animals don’t use tools. This has been falsified, verifiably, in multiple species, including chimpanzees and dolphins. Not long ago, wild orangutans were witnessed spear fishing. It is believed they were mimicking humans.
It is time for a come to Jesus meeting with scientists and sociologists. It time to throw out the old arguments and text books and re-calibrate- animals are sentient, and it doesn’t take a card carrying peta member to know that. It just takes a human and basic 4 year old empathy. In 2001 when I was in my sociology master program, I was dismiss and blocked from writing a paper for just wanting to point out the flaw in Marx statement that what differentiates humans from animals is language. When scientist stated dolphins have names for themselves and other dolphins, that was significant game changer. It changes everything. So why do humans persist in doing bad science, even when the data says other wise?
fMRI and dream research on humans
We can do this with humans. We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you dream. We have put people in fMRI and recorded dreams. So, why are we doing this with animals? Are we afraid we might find something? It would conclusively demonstrate there is more going on. And if you do this and find animals dream about humans, and humans use language in the dream, that would be another significant finding.
What do animal dream? Do you suppose monkeys, or rats, would opt out of informed consent to having electrodes stuck in their brains? Could this be why scientist are afraid of discovering they’re sentience? Don’t you hate it when ethic gets in the way of good research?
Humans with brain interfaces have manipulated robots and sent thoughts remotely. Monkeys can do the same, even play pong. Monkeys control other monkeys via computer chips. Umm, are humans hoping to control other humans with chips… Oh, wait, we have cell phones doing it already.
Marx statement about literacy being what separates us from animals has always been a poor argument. After all, I know some illiterate folks who are more capable than many people who can read or write. Seriously, my friend Syril, who lives and has lived in the rain forests of Lopinot in Trinidad/Tobago knows more about the plants and caring that forest than any PhD professors. He’s in his 80s and still living well off the land, and when he dies, Trinidad, and the world, will have lost a treasure.
So is literacy really the measure of sentience or even intelligence? Are kids less sentient before they can read or write? It’s just one thing we do, not the be all end all thing of being human. In many ways, using reading and writing as a measure for anything other than saying you’re literate is likely an just bad thinking. There are too many educated idiots, and being educated doesn’t predict wealth, or ability to overcome addictions, or mental health problems, or just be happy.
In fact, there is a correlation that as intelligence goes up, so does depression.
I might have argued in the past that love separates us from animals, but I have seen too many animals show affection, to same species, and to members of other species. People often like point how vicious many animals are, as if that indicates humans are better. We not horrendous things to each other, we destroy ecosystems and drive species to extinctions. Most species don’t fight to the death unless unable to retreat.
In one scientifically recognize study, a baboon tribe known for it’s brutal treatment of members by an elite group had a sudden shift in regime power when the elite baboon selfishly ate from a dumpster, and ended up dying to a one of food poisoning. The tribe became peaceful. When outside baboon group moved in, trying to take over, the new peace culture all at once stomp that out! The new culture won, and the aggressive baboons either adopted the new culture or departed ways.
That’s evidence for sociology. That’s evidence for communication. That’s evidence of culture. That’s evidence for sentience!
In essay released yesterday Psychology Today, May 26th, 2022, Marc Bekoff Ph.D. wrote:
Several countries have declared that nonhuman animals, including household companions and members of wild species, are sentient beings.
A large body of data suggests that many species of nonhuman animals are sentient beings.
Compassionate conservation stresses the value of all individuals, wild and captive.
YES! Finally, someone with a PhD finally gets it. It’s Time To Stop Wondering if Animals Are Sentient — They Are: Is it anti-science to claim that nonhumans aren’t sentient?
Hello, Mark! No, it’s not anti-science to look at data and re-evaluate an opinion that is clearly outdated. Thank you.
