CategoryHuman exceptionalism
Clinical Psychologist Defends Human Exceptionalism
Gregg Henriques is responding to an evolutionary biologist who sees recognition of human uniqueness as “speciesism,” akin to racism and sexism
Defining an Ape Theory of Mind Into Existence
We are told that “recognizing when someone else lacks information” has been thought to be a distinctly human trait. Really?
Vice President Vance Defends Human Exceptionalism at Munich
The idea that humans are special is under increasing attack by some of society’s most powerful political and cultural forces
Science Writing: Cat Intelligence Compared With Baby Intelligence
Cat intelligence is of a rather different kind from dog intelligence
Science Writing: Dog Intelligence Compared With Baby Intelligence
It’s an odd question because what we should be asking is, “Are kittens and puppies smarter than babies?”
The Subtle Ways That Science Writing Erases Human Exceptionalism
Stone tool use among animals versus the Stone Age provides a useful illustration of the tendency
Liberal Prof: Intelligent Design Is Not Just for Conservatives
Robert Shedinger’s findings certainly changed his perception of the nature of the controversy over Darwinism
Neanderthals Used a “High Tech” Method for Making Glue
High tech for the times they lived in, that is. They had to figure out why the lower tech method got poor results and develop a more sophisticated 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
Researchers: Did Neanderthal Children Collect “Stuff”?
The items that raise the question are small marine shells found in caves. They were carefully preserved but have no known function. A baby tooth was found in the same area
Why Human Intelligence Thrives Where Machines Fail
We're worried about AI and trust. We should be worried about something deeper
Can Brain Structure Alone Explain Why We Have Language?
How human languages came to exist is an unsolved mystery within science
At Big Think: Getting Stoned Shaped the Modern Mind
Cognitive neuroscientist Bobby Azarian sees human civilization forming something like “the brain of Gaia” in a cosmos that is becoming increasingly conscious
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
“Plant Philosophy” Denigrates Human Uniqueness
Much contemporary advocacy is obsessed with deconstructing human exceptionalism
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
If Humans Were Just Animals, We Would Not Help Animals
Whether we like it or not, the gulf fixed between humans and other animals is what makes it possible for us to reject cruelty to animals