What Makes Humans Unique

[annysia]

Ratdog

(behave man)

Annysia x

[EnigmaticOne]

I'm almost positive my cat imagines a piece of string is a snake......

[annysia]

... and if my dog doesnt dream i need to seek a vet ..... cos he has a fitting issue

Annysia x

[ratdog]

... and if my dog doesnt dream i need to seek a vet ..... cos he has a fitting issue

Annysia x

[annysia]

almost that bad :o)

[ratdog]

Who here sleep walks?

E2a Or Sleep runs

Edited April 30, 2010 by ratdog

[annysia]

Who here sleep walks?

E2a Or Sleep runs

not me as far as i know i just snore LOUD :wink:

Annysia x

edited cos i quoted the snake comment that made no blummin sense !!

Edited April 30, 2010 by annysia

[pollenlover]

Who here sleep walks?

E2a Or Sleep runs :wink:

Yeah, i used to sleep walk as a kid. Only a couple of times but not done it in years.

Laid bricks in my sleep according to Mrs P and get quite vocal!

[ratdog]

Laid bricks in my sleep according to Mrs P

As in building wall right?

[Cosmic Dick]

I'm almost positive my cat imagines a piece of string is a snake......

I find that funnier than it sounds, I have the image in my head... all the hesitations..

that is funny.

[weed_G]

apparently fruit flies, dogs and monkeys were the first animals in space before humans ...pause ..imagine if aliens choose that day to make contact with those early pioneers of space travel..after bringing the earthship aboard with the tractor beam ..opening the door they can see through the cloud of fruit flies that a dog is straining a shit out and in the other corner a monkey wearing a gas mask furiously masterbaiting...only stopping to sign the aliens for cigarettes, ..they might have thought, these lifeforms are obviously intelligent but this is more than we can deal with

Edited April 30, 2010 by weed_G

[Guest Dashboard Dice]

I'm almost positive my cat imagines a piece of string is a snake......

I find that funnier than it sounds, I have the image in my head... all the hesitations..

that is funny.

Almost fell off my high chair

[Cosmic Dick]

Almost fell off my high chair

Perhaps it's best if I keep my imagination to myself, eh?

Edited May 1, 2010 by Cosmic Dick

[ninorc]

Man has been given the freedom of choice to do good or evil.

[Randal Graves]

hmmm

i think its damn near impossible to tell whether other animals have imagations or not

hmmm hmmm

There are some elephants that do paintings, could what they do be an example of imagination?

My first thoughts are they are not, but that could be a lack of understanding of art on my part.

CD

I think that art definitely shows imagination - especially the abstract art that elephants paint (although that may be a reflection of how they visually percieve the world).. where else does the impetus to throw colours onto canvas, and enjoy and choose to do it, come from? I also think that this shows that elephants have free will - painting does not, in any discernable way, help them to continue to live and breed.. they choose to participate in an activity which is pointless, except for the pleasure they derive from it (possible exception: if elephants are attracted to breeding with other elephants that show artistic talent, then the art could serve a purpose in breeding.. this impulse definitely appears to be true with humans and musicians)

Many animals (appear to) dream.. I think that is indicative of imagination.

easy ,its are brains that makes us unique its are ability to solve problems ,we are the only one that can do it well .

No, not true - check out these crows solving a three stage tool using problem:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8631486.stm

1. String is attached to perch

2. Short stick attached to string

3. Long stick out-of-reach behind bars - can be reached with short stick

4. Out-of-reach scrap of meat - can be reached by long stick

Crows are surprisingly intelligent, tool using, problem solving animals - they have been observed using cars and pedestrian crossing to crack open nuts - crows all over the world will drop rocks onto nuts to open them, but in (iirc) japan, they have been observed putting nuts onto pedestrian crossings whilst the lights stop cars, waiting for the cars to run over the nuts (thus cracking them), and then going to collect the open nuts once the lights change again.. this technique has spread from one crow to another..

Language.

I reckon almost all animals have some language - although for many it'll onyl really extend to "GTFO this is my place" and "Fancy a shag love?".. which is pretty much humans down the pub on a friday night

tbf, I think the complexity of our language, and the ability it gives us to collaborate, socialise and problem solve is an important part of what makes us different to other animals

Imbiling substance's that alter percetion ie getting off one's box cant think of any other animal that does that willingly as it would make them easier to predated on. I'll admit that it does occur in animals but they dont do it willingly/knowingly at least of not heard of them doing it.

as well as the primates already mentioned, cats love the catnip..

imo, there is no single thing that makes us unique (except the particular chromosonal/DNA pattern for humans).. there are lots of things - language, tool use, problem solving, the pattern-seeking ability of our brains, opposable thumbs, imagination and art - which make us what we are - but any of these things are found elsewhere in nature, just not all together..