CategoryAnimal mind
Why Do Insect Mini-Brains Work So Eerily Well?
The extremely small brains of microinsects do not apparently affect their behavior, even when it is complex behavior
Edge of Sentience Summarizes Research on Animals’, AIs’ Feelings
And animal rights laws as well. But there is a dark side to Jonathan Birch’s approach too…Philosophy prof Jonathan Birch, principal investigator of the Animal Sentience Project at the London School of Economics, has written a book on whether and how animals feel things: The Edge of Sentience (Oxford University Press 2024). It’s not as arcane a topic as it might at first appear. It shows up in new legislation and think tanks. At Amazon, we learn, for example, “In 2021, he led a review for the UK government that shaped the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. In 2022-23, he was part of a working group that investigated the question of sentience in AI.” And as Birch told Marc Bekoff at Psychology Today, I’m probably best-known for my work on invertebrate sentience, which is one part Read More ›
Can Chimpanzees Help Us Understand How Human Language Started?
If the capacity for a human mind was present before humans and chimps diverged (if they did), why did no chimpanzee develop one?
At SciAm: When did human ancestors start using stone tools?
Setting aside the question of whether the various groups mentioned in the article are in fact our ancestors, stone tool use is not even confined to primates
Study: Great Apes Point to How Human Language May Have Evolved
What’s revealing in these types of studies is not what the researchers find but what the science media choose to make of them
Possible Breakthrough: Bee Gene Specifies Complex Hive Behavior
The researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors to modify or switch off the dsx gene in selected bees
Do Animals Really “Take Revenge”? Another Look…
Four animal behavior specialists offered some thoughts at Gizmodo
Will Colorado Allow Elephants to Sue?
The Nonhuman Rights Project wants to become the guardian of five elephants at the Colorado Springs zoo and take control of their care
Octopus Organizes Packs of Fish to Help It Hunt
Unlike the fish, the octopus can work with stones where prey fish shelter. The fish get whatever the octopus drops — unless they are cheaters
Are There Rules Governing Which Animals Are Smart?
A neurologist makes a case for the importance of warm-bloodedness but cold-blooded reptiles can be learn surprisingly quickly
The Hard Problem of Consciousness Remains Inescapable
Neuroscientist Francisco Aboitiz starts by offering to tell us how consciousness evolved but then makes a critical concession
Of course cats grieve! But how to research it …?
The challenge is separating the cat’s feelings from those of the human interpreter
When Dogs and Pet Pigs Both Heard Humans Cry, What Happened?
Have humans changed dogs’ behavior over thousands of years of domestication?
Will AI Soon Help Animals Talk To Us?
Many animals have a natural tendency to hide their problems for self-protection. AI trained on massive animal datasets might suss them out
New Podcast Asks, Is the World Really Enchanted—or Disenchanted?
At Created Souls and The Banquet of Souls, I want to explore the fact that human consciousness is not about to be made obsolete by AI or explained away by neuroscience
A Darwinian Biologist Winces at Bees That Have Feelings
The problem Jerry Coyne has with Lars Chittka’s evidence for emotions among bees points to a growing conflict between naturalism and panpsychism in science
Does Your Dog Feel “Guilty” When He Rips the Sofa?
Dog expert Zazie Todd says no; when assessing dog emotions, we should think more simply
An “Evolutionary” Analysis of Childhood Provides No New Knowledge
Archeologist Brenna Hassett offers to explain the evolution of childhood and grandmothers — but, unfortunately, ends up providing no real insight