Posted by Anonymous on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
What do you think is the most smartest animal on the face of this planet?
(You can interpret smart anyway you wish).
Posted by admin on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Apr 2003 · 167 posts
What do you think is the most smartest animal on the face of this planet?
Great topic! Just a quick note - it would help with the readability of the Q&A index if you would elaborate on the subject just a little. Please edit your post to include a subject of something like "what is the smartest animal". See the Forum Rules at: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=19216.0 more info on subject lines.
Thanks!
Yvette
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Posted by chickpea27 on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Jul 2007 · 465 posts
a dolphin. duh. ;)
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Posted by Cephi on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Feb 2007 · 371 posts
Depends on what you mean by 'smart'. If you mean 'clever with tools', well then it's us. If you mean 'possessing language', there again we seem to get the blue ribbon, as other systems of animal communication don't seem to be able to represent as many kinds of situations as human language (if, in fact, animal communications "represent" at all -- I think they don't). But there are other senses of the term.
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Posted by Schmaltz_Liquor on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Jul 2006 · 47 posts
Smart can also mean well-dressed, in which case penguins definitely hold the title.
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Posted by vivianne417 on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Sep 2007 · 118 posts
I think the elephant....definitely. :)
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Posted by Cephi on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Feb 2007 · 371 posts
Smart can also mean well-dressed, in which case penguins definitely hold the title.
Haha! It's true.
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Posted by faunablues on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
This topic is so very much "The Pig Who Sang To The Moon" and "Drawing the Line."
There are different forms of intelligence... and we don't always take the cake. Er, vegan cake.
There are various ways of assessing our general "smart"ness, all often used to prove humans' superior intellect (whatever.). Brain to body ratio, the size of the brain itself, surface area of the brain, general complicated-ness... I read somewhere (one of those two books... I forget which) about instances of each, and basically we don't win any of those matches!
But IMHO, even with the most objective measurement of intelligence, however it is defined, if it still comes out humans, it's not much of a shocker, nor do I think it should be the basis of moral value. I see humans as in a kind of loop. The more and better technology we have, the more leisure time we have to learn/explore/whatnot, and then we get smarter. If we're smarter, we'll have better technology. For some species... most of life is just about not getting eaten and makin' babies. Who has time to think about Voltaire? Moreover, what's the adaptive advantage to that when all you need is to be fast anyway?
... then... are domesticated cats and dogs 'smarter' than their wild counterparts?
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Posted by hespedal on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Mar 2006 · 5259 posts
I see humans as in a kind of loop. The more and better technology we have, the more leisure time we have to learn/explore/whatnot, and then we get smarter. If we're smarter, we'll have better technology. For some species... most of life is just about not getting eaten and makin' babies. Who has time to think about Voltaire? Moreover, what's the adaptive advantage to that when all you need is to be fast anyway?
i think so very differently on this topic. actually, i have heard that foragers actually had more leisure time than us. and not surprisingly. i feel that we have needlessly complicated life, life should just be about food, reproduction, staying alive, and personal relationships. what else do we really need, right? that is basically what we do now, just with so many more steps.
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Posted by AutemOx on Oct 10, 2007 · Member since Sep 2007 · 184 posts
Yup pretty much all our time is leisure when it comes down to it, seeing how unless we actively try to kill ourselves our society will take care of us (even if that means going to the loony bin ::)).
I've always been impressed by ants personally. The way they work together is so impressive, especially considering how little energy it takes to maintain each individual. ;)
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Posted by Di on Oct 11, 2007 · Member since Nov 2006 · 1343 posts
I am thinking dolphins, parrots (although they are birds), chimps, elephants, and pigs.
I read a study once years ago and pigs are most definitely smarter than dogs. Pigs ranked 5th or something and dogs 7th.
I have always wondered where the term bird brain comes from considering my African Grey is more intelligent that many people I have met.
African Grey's apparently being the most intelligent of the parrots. They have the emotional stability of a 2 to 3 year old child and the mental intelligence of a five year old child.
What do you think is the most smartest animal on the face of this planet?
Great topic! Just a quick note - it would help with the readability of the Q&A index if you would elaborate on the subject just a little. Please edit your post to include a subject of something like "what is the smartest animal". See the Forum Rules at: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=19216.0 more info on subject lines.
Thanks!
Yvette
a dolphin.
duh.
;)
Depends on what you mean by 'smart'. If you mean 'clever with tools', well then it's us. If you mean 'possessing language', there again we seem to get the blue ribbon, as other systems of animal communication don't seem to be able to represent as many kinds of situations as human language (if, in fact, animal communications "represent" at all -- I think they don't). But there are other senses of the term.
Smart can also mean well-dressed, in which case penguins definitely hold the title.
I think the elephant....definitely. :)
Smart can also mean well-dressed, in which case penguins definitely hold the title.
Haha! It's true.
This topic is so very much "The Pig Who Sang To The Moon" and "Drawing the Line."
There are different forms of intelligence... and we don't always take the cake. Er, vegan cake.
There are various ways of assessing our general "smart"ness, all often used to prove humans' superior intellect (whatever.). Brain to body ratio, the size of the brain itself, surface area of the brain, general complicated-ness... I read somewhere (one of those two books... I forget which) about instances of each, and basically we don't win any of those matches!
But IMHO, even with the most objective measurement of intelligence, however it is defined, if it still comes out humans, it's not much of a shocker, nor do I think it should be the basis of moral value. I see humans as in a kind of loop. The more and better technology we have, the more leisure time we have to learn/explore/whatnot, and then we get smarter. If we're smarter, we'll have better technology. For some species... most of life is just about not getting eaten and makin' babies. Who has time to think about Voltaire? Moreover, what's the adaptive advantage to that when all you need is to be fast anyway?
... then... are domesticated cats and dogs 'smarter' than their wild counterparts?
I see humans as in a kind of loop. The more and better technology we have, the more leisure time we have to learn/explore/whatnot, and then we get smarter. If we're smarter, we'll have better technology. For some species... most of life is just about not getting eaten and makin' babies. Who has time to think about Voltaire? Moreover, what's the adaptive advantage to that when all you need is to be fast anyway?
i think so very differently on this topic. actually, i have heard that foragers actually had more leisure time than us. and not surprisingly. i feel that we have needlessly complicated life, life should just be about food, reproduction, staying alive, and personal relationships. what else do we really need, right? that is basically what we do now, just with so many more steps.
Yup pretty much all our time is leisure when it comes down to it, seeing how unless we actively try to kill ourselves our society will take care of us (even if that means going to the loony bin ::)).
I've always been impressed by ants personally. The way they work together is so impressive, especially considering how little energy it takes to maintain each individual. ;)
I am thinking dolphins, parrots (although they are birds), chimps, elephants, and pigs.
I read a study once years ago and pigs are most definitely smarter than dogs. Pigs ranked 5th or something and dogs 7th.
I have always wondered where the term bird brain comes from considering my African Grey is more intelligent that many people I have met.
African Grey's apparently being the most intelligent of the parrots. They have the emotional stability of a 2 to 3 year old child and the mental intelligence of a five year old child.
Of course, Biko is smarter than that! ;D ;D ;D