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Author | Topic: Genuine Puzzles In Biology? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dr Adequate Member (Idle past 312 days) Posts: 16113 Joined: |
What about Gallup's mirror test? Don't you think that demonstrates self-awareness in chimpanzees, dolphins, and the other species that have passed the test? Sure, I have a definitive and empirically justifiable opinion about that, because I am the greatest philosopher who ever lived, and my mighty brain allows me to resolve such questions because I am so fucking smart. NOW WORSHIP ME AS YOUR GOD. Seriously, I suppose that animals are conscious because they behave like they're conscious. The same reason I suppose that you are conscious. I might be wrong.
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frako Member (Idle past 333 days) Posts: 2932 From: slovenija Joined: |
What about Gallup's mirror test? Don't you think that demonstrates self-awareness in chimpanzees, dolphins, and the other species that have passed the test? I think that test only demonstrates witch animals have the capacety to realise that the animal they see is only a reflection i doubt it has much to do whit self-awareness and more whit their cognitive functions that descypher their optical imput.
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Dogmafood Member (Idle past 376 days) Posts: 1815 From: Ontario Canada Joined: |
What is the prevailing theory about how this fungus evolved the characteristic of controlling it's hosts behaviour in such a specific manner?
There are other virus that effect rats in such a way as to increase it's chances of being eaten by a cat. I think there is another that effects fish in such a way that they will be eaten by a bird. Could rabies be said to be doing the same type of thing to it's hosts? Another question is how does genetic memory or instinct occur? Why am I instinctively afraid of spiders and snakes and heights? I see how being afraid of dangerous things is helpful but how do my genes remember that from previous encounters in other generations?
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
Dr Adequate writes: The same reason I suppose that you are conscious. I might be wrong. Thanks. I'd hate to think I failed the Turing test. Because of your answer, I conclude that you have a theory of mind. But I might be wrong, too.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
frako writes: I think that test only demonstrates witch animals have the capacety to realise that the animal they see is only a reflection i doubt it has much to do whit self-awareness and more whit their cognitive functions that descypher their optical imput. It demonstrates that the animal knows it is seeing a refection of itself. In chimpanzees, for instance, the chimp will touch its own forehead when it sees a dab of paint on the forehead in the reflection.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
Dogmafood writes: What is the prevailing theory about how this fungus evolved the characteristic of controlling it's hosts behaviour in such a specific manner? From a blog called Neurophilosophy:
When the fungus is ready to sporulate, the mycelia grow into the ant’s brain. The fungus then produces chemicals which act on the host’s brain and alter its perception of pheromones. This causes the ant to climb a plant and, upon reaching the top, to clamp its mandibles around a leaf or leaf stem, thus securing it firmly to what will be its final resting place.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
Dogmafood writes: Another question is how does genetic memory or instinct occur? Why am I instinctively afraid of spiders and snakes and heights? I see how being afraid of dangerous things is helpful but how do my genes remember that from previous encounters in other generations? Visual images of snakes and spiders stimulate a brain network centered on the amygdala, which in turn triggers the fear response. Conscious processing (e.g., you realize its a rubber snake, not a real snake) can halt this porcess. Some fears are learned. But our brains appear to be hardwired to recognize images of snakes and spiders.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
Dogmafood writes: Could rabies be said to be doing the same type of thing to it's hosts? That's an interesting idea. Causing an infected animal to run around biting other potential victims would seem like a good way to spread the virus.
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Dogmafood Member (Idle past 376 days) Posts: 1815 From: Ontario Canada Joined: |
When the fungus is ready to sporulate, the mycelia grow into the ant’s brain. The fungus then produces chemicals which act on the host’s brain and alter its perception of pheromones. This causes the ant to climb a plant and, upon reaching the top, to clamp its mandibles around a leaf or leaf stem, thus securing it firmly to what will be its final resting place. Yes that describes the characteristic and the mechanism. Perhaps the answer is in the question. It evolved. It is just that it strikes me as such a fantastic culmination of coincidental events. Edited by Dogmafood, : add quote
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Dogmafood Member (Idle past 376 days) Posts: 1815 From: Ontario Canada Joined: |
Some fears are learned. But our brains appear to be hardwired to recognize images of snakes and spiders. Yes. That is the question.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
Dogmafood writes: It is just that it strikes me as such a fantastic culmination of coincidental events. Fascinating, yes. Fantastic, no -- given that this group of fungi have been parasitizing insects for at least 48 million years.
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BarackZero Member (Idle past 4882 days) Posts: 57 Joined: |
Any time someone NOT wholly in the Darwinist camp offers up a puzzle in
biology, he is instantly shot down with one or more of the following pat insults: 1. You don't understand evolution. 2. You don't understand science. 3. Your make-believe book is nothing but a fairy tale. 4. Your ignorance is pathetic. Next. It's really hateful of Darwinists to act this way, but it's absolutely impossiblefor them to do anything else. But when a Fellow Traveler posits such a question, it's perfectly acceptableand oh so intellectual.
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Dr Adequate Member (Idle past 312 days) Posts: 16113 Joined: |
Any time someone NOT wholly in the Darwinist camp offers up a puzzle in biology, he is instantly shot down with one or more of the following pat insults: 1. You don't understand evolution. 2. You don't understand science. 3. Your make-believe book is nothing but a fairy tale. 4. Your ignorance is pathetic. Next. It's really hateful of Darwinists to act this way, but it's absolutely impossiblefor them to do anything else. But when a Fellow Traveler posits such a question, it's perfectly acceptableand oh so intellectual. Your whining is noted. Now, did you have an actual question about biology, or did you merely want to display your capacity for self-pity? The title of this thread is "Genuine Puzzles In Biology", not "Creationists Blub And Cry About How Unfair It Is That People Exist Who Disagree With Them".
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Parasomnium Member Posts: 2224 Joined: |
Stephen (or an Admin),
Could you please edit the link so that the page keeps its normal width? (You can hide the details of the link behind a more descriptive text.) Thanks.
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Stephen Push Member (Idle past 4887 days) Posts: 140 From: Virginia, USA Joined: |
I corrected the url. Thanks for pointing that out, Parasomnium.
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