Humans are the Smartest Things on Earth

[tyrannosaurus vex]

we can tell because we have language. and art. and designer handbags.

this is comforting, because in the great scheme of things where things can go horrible at any moment, at least every one of us has won the genetic lottery and been born as a truly intelligent creature.

if you wish to maintain this belief and preserve this comfort, please do not click this link.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

[tyrannosaurus vex]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

I do not believe Caucasians are alone in assuming other animals to be inherently inferior to humans. In fact the primary source of such belief in European culture is a religion that originated with decidedly non-White people. I think this article is more important as a statement about the short-sighted arrogance of "technological supremacy" than about shaming Whites for being automatically racist.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

I do not believe Caucasians are alone in assuming other animals to be inherently inferior to humans. In fact the primary source of such belief in European culture is a religion that originated with decidedly non-White people. I think this article is more important as a statement about the short-sighted arrogance of "technological supremacy" than about shaming Whites for being automatically racist.

I was more jokingly mocking Western colonial culture for its automatic assumption that all non-human animals were incapable of communication, and also that all the people it considered "primitive" were just silly/naive for their beliefs that animals could talk. You're right, some nonwestern societies make the same assumption, they just haven't been quite as good at shitting all over everyone else on the globe with it.

But you can get all uptight about it if you want, I won't try to stop you.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

I do not believe Caucasians are alone in assuming other animals to be inherently inferior to humans. In fact the primary source of such belief in European culture is a religion that originated with decidedly non-White people. I think this article is more important as a statement about the short-sighted arrogance of "technological supremacy" than about shaming Whites for being automatically racist.

I was more jokingly mocking Western colonial culture for its automatic assumption that all non-human animals were incapable of communication, and also that all the people it considered "primitive" were just silly/naive for their beliefs that animals could talk. You're right, some nonwestern societies make the same assumption, they just haven't been quite as good at shitting all over everyone else on the globe with it.

But you can get all uptight about it if you want, I won't try to stop you.

Not up tight. Also not 100% clear on "when Nigel is joking and when Nigel is not really joking."

*

The article itself surprised me -- not just in that it documents animals communicating with each other (I already knew that happened), and not just at the complexity of the communication (Dolphins can retransmit 3D images via language, FFS), but at how much more efficient groundhog language is than human language. It takes them 1/10 of one second to say "There's a tall thin human in a blue shirt walking across the colony."

So not only are humans not unique in having language (I already knew that much), but human language is LESS EFFICIENT than PRAIRIE DOG language. This I did not know.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

I do not believe Caucasians are alone in assuming other animals to be inherently inferior to humans. In fact the primary source of such belief in European culture is a religion that originated with decidedly non-White people. I think this article is more important as a statement about the short-sighted arrogance of "technological supremacy" than about shaming Whites for being automatically racist.

I was more jokingly mocking Western colonial culture for its automatic assumption that all non-human animals were incapable of communication, and also that all the people it considered "primitive" were just silly/naive for their beliefs that animals could talk. You're right, some nonwestern societies make the same assumption, they just haven't been quite as good at shitting all over everyone else on the globe with it.

But you can get all uptight about it if you want, I won't try to stop you.

Not up tight. Also not 100% clear on "when Nigel is joking and when Nigel is not really joking."

*

The article itself surprised me -- not just in that it documents animals communicating with each other (I already knew that happened), and not just at the complexity of the communication (Dolphins can retransmit 3D images via language, FFS), but at how much more efficient groundhog language is than human language. It takes them 1/10 of one second to say "There's a tall thin human in a blue shirt walking across the colony."

So not only are humans not unique in having language (I already knew that much), but human language is LESS EFFICIENT than PRAIRIE DOG language. This I did not know.

It makes sense to me, because they only live about eight years and have much faster metabolisms. From that perspective, their entire existence is more efficient than human existence.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Dolphins can basically speak 3d images? Weird

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Dolphins can basically speak 3d images? Weird

Yeah they reproduce the results of their echolocation when talking to other dolphins. Plus context.

[LMNO]

... But we're not implying sentience yet, right?


Because that's a can of worms humanity is not phychologically nor morally prepared for.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

Hey, historically speaking, White people just figured out that Brown people can talk to each other.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

White people finally figure out something EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH HAS KNOWN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Those silly, naive primitives, thinking animals talk to each other!

Hey, historically speaking, White people just figured out that Brown people can talk to each other.

Good point.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

... But we're not implying sentience yet, right?


Because that's a can of worms humanity is not phychologically nor morally prepared for.

Depends on who "we" is; in India dolphins are legally considered nonhuman persons.

[LMNO]

Whoa, really?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yep! Just officially as of April of this year, I  think.

Ah, even more recently; it was just last month!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/30/1226634/-India-Declares-Dolphins-Non-Human-Persons-Dolphin-shows-BANNED

[Junkenstein]

Did anyone throw up the link with the research indicating dolphins have names?

Which adds several extra layers of horror to "The Cove". When the google app exists to translate this shit easily that is going to be turbo nightmare fuel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23410137