Animal Intelligence

nelkitty:

pom-seedss:

karalora:

Ever notice how they keep moving the goalposts when it comes to animal intelligence vs. human intelligence?

“Humans are completely unique. No other animal uses tools.”

“Actually, wild sea otters have been observed using rocks to open shellfish.”

“Okay, but that’s not true intelligence. They just pick the rocks up; they don’t alter them in any way.”

“Chimps peel the leaves from sticks to make more effective termite probes.”

“Well, that’s just technology. Only humans have art.”

“What about painting elephants? Art critics often can’t tell the difference between their work and a human’s.”

“Okay fine. But only humans have language. That’s the mark of true intelligence.”

“These African Grey Parrots use hundreds of words correctly and even ask original questions.”

“Oh yeah? Well, does any non-human species demonstrate self-awareness?”

“Dolphins pass the mirror test without training.”

“Pfft. How about problem-solving?”

“I can’t keep squirrels out of my bird feeder no matter what I do.”

“Aha! Bet you can’t think of a species that possesses all these traits! Only humans! We’re No. 1! We’re No. 1!”

“Crows.”

“LALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOOOOUUUUUUUUU…”

Are we smart enough to know how smart animals are? by Frans de Waal explores this exact question and its a fascinating read.

Humans had enough trouble seeing other humans as human. We are not even remotely smart enough to know how smart animals are. We would have a huge existential crisis if we realised other creatures are as sentient and aware as we are.

sandersstudies:

I don’t want to be rich, I just want to be comfy.

Want to have one really nice set of plates and silverware for company and Thanksgiving.

Want to be able to buy a new outfit and a good bra at least a couple times a year.

Want to be able to give “just because” gifts.

Want to burn incense and candles in my home daily, and have nice soaps.

Want to be able to donate to charity frequently and without worry.

Want to buy hardcover books to read and put on a shelf for my kids to read someday.

Want to have candies in bowls for people who visit.

Want to be able to take my young siblings and cousins to a movie and let them get the big popcorn they won’t finish, because there’s magic in just having it.

Want to have a linen closet or at least a linen shelf.

Want to go see live local theater several times a year.

Want to have a bottle of wine or champagne in the house for when I suddenly need to celebrate.

Want to have a kitchen with basic baking supplies so I can bake bread on the weekend, and pies for special occasions.

I just want to be comfy.

zooophagous:

ralfmaximus:

princeloki:

f1rstperson:

Glad to see my lifelong disinterest in golf is paying off

let me tell you about golf

i grew up in a little desert valley called Tucson, Arizona, where it only rains 2 inches a year on average. the majority of the city’s water is pumped from an underground aquifer, which took millions of years to fill. one of the biggest conservation efforts in our city was for water, naturally, and i spent a lot of time learning about low flow toilets and 5 minute showers. i learned that filling your sink basin and washing your dishes in that water is less costly than running the tap. i learned that it only takes 2 days without water on the desert for someone to die

the city was sinking as the aquifer drained. neighborhoods fell into flood zones that didnt exist 10 years ago

there’s a road called Golf Links in the city and it is lined with golf courses. miles of green grass where grass doesn’t grow, in a valley where it doesn’t rain. why? because the rich white retirees who moved there to stop the aching in their joints decided they should also get to play golf. meanwhile our public schools taught small children like me that taking long showers would kill the world

let the golf industry burn

There are 15,500+ golf courses in the United States alone. 

Each one consumes ~312,000 gallons of water per day.

That consumption is equivalent to 55+ million humans per day in the United States… roughly 1/6 the entire population.

We simply cannot sustain this frivolity, especially for something 99% of us will never use.

Destroy golf courses and plant wild grasses and butterfly bushes in their place.