NOBODY expects...the Spanish Inquisition!
Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.
Biggles! Fetch...THE CUSHIONS!
Cardinal! Poke her with...the soft cushions!
Hm! She is made of harder stuff! Cardinal Fang! Fetch...THE COMFY CHAIR!
So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in...the Comfy Chair!
Anyway, that aside...this post actually has something to do with something. The title in fact is in reference to the inquisitive nature of human beings, which incidentally is the topic of this post (what a twist huh? Bet you didn't see that one coming...[ok enough references for now]). I was just asking for opinions actually. What do people think is the cause of our (supposed) higher order thinking? I mean, all animals can carry out the basics: eat, move, "speak" (or at least make noises with their throats and mouths) etc., but no other animal possesses the same kind of thinking apparatus as we humans do. Why is it that by putting this mass of neurons together we call a cortex that we are able to ponder such intricate issues as the nature of the universe, why we are as we are and be able to ask very complicated questions about everything (as I am doing now) . I am by no means a religious person, and I don't intend to be (the whole God idea and me don't mix well, but that's a topic for another discussion). I am open to all suggestions, but please, if you're going to suggest something, make sure it is detailed and sufficiently deep. I'm not looking for answers such as "Because God deemed us to be so" or something simple like that. I realise that to spite me at least one of you will put that exact line in the comments section (I have one particular person in mind who I believe is likely to do this but I won't name this person)...but by all means, prove me wrong ;-).
My thoughts on the matter? Well I haven't really had a chance to think it through properly, and I dare not propose anything yet. And oh, sorry for this turn of topics from a cheery website celebrating stupid deaths to sombre reflections about the human mind (which I'm guessing will be covered next semester). But well, such is the nature of this blog and its author :-).
Well, happy hunting!
Biggles! Fetch...THE CUSHIONS!
Cardinal! Poke her with...the soft cushions!
Hm! She is made of harder stuff! Cardinal Fang! Fetch...THE COMFY CHAIR!
So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in...the Comfy Chair!
Anyway, that aside...this post actually has something to do with something. The title in fact is in reference to the inquisitive nature of human beings, which incidentally is the topic of this post (what a twist huh? Bet you didn't see that one coming...[ok enough references for now]). I was just asking for opinions actually. What do people think is the cause of our (supposed) higher order thinking? I mean, all animals can carry out the basics: eat, move, "speak" (or at least make noises with their throats and mouths) etc., but no other animal possesses the same kind of thinking apparatus as we humans do. Why is it that by putting this mass of neurons together we call a cortex that we are able to ponder such intricate issues as the nature of the universe, why we are as we are and be able to ask very complicated questions about everything (as I am doing now) . I am by no means a religious person, and I don't intend to be (the whole God idea and me don't mix well, but that's a topic for another discussion). I am open to all suggestions, but please, if you're going to suggest something, make sure it is detailed and sufficiently deep. I'm not looking for answers such as "Because God deemed us to be so" or something simple like that. I realise that to spite me at least one of you will put that exact line in the comments section (I have one particular person in mind who I believe is likely to do this but I won't name this person)...but by all means, prove me wrong ;-).
My thoughts on the matter? Well I haven't really had a chance to think it through properly, and I dare not propose anything yet. And oh, sorry for this turn of topics from a cheery website celebrating stupid deaths to sombre reflections about the human mind (which I'm guessing will be covered next semester). But well, such is the nature of this blog and its author :-).
Well, happy hunting!
ranted by Wayland at
5/24/2005 11:20:00 pm
4 Comments:
Why are humans the most inquisitive of animals?
The answer: 42
Kidding, it's actually evolution.
Humans are physically piss weak by animal standards. Sure, all animals can 'eat, move and speak', but leopards are fast, birds can fly, lions are deadly, insects can camoflage, elephants are strong, ants come in numbers etc. Compared with other animals, we're very slow, we can't fly, we can't jump very high, nor are we very strong - making us easy prey for predators. Other animals like us would've been wiped out long ago.
Instead, the key to our survival on this planet has been our intelligence. Through millions of years of evolution, our lack of physical ability has been made up for by our far superior intellect. To ensure the survival of of the species, we've developed language, tools, fire, clothes (for winter), agriculture, shelter and communes.
So this went on for a few million years, and where the weaker homonids perished or evolved (Neanderthals and Homo Habilis among others), us Homo Sapians survived (Sapian actually means intelligence).
Counter-ranted by
Jimmy at Wednesday, May 25, 2005 11:30:00 pm
Firstly: it must be exam session. Wayland is posting again! Also wl, just for future reference... please paragraph. It makes it so much easier to read. But great great post.
I personally think it comes down to caustious curiosity. Curiosity is a double edged sword of evolution. It allows you to advance but it can also kill yo very quickly. Thinking allows us to project the future... a trial run in our heads if you will.
I'm a Darwinian at the core. Everything goes back to evolutionary advantage. Primates are just the best at adapting... but adapting requires thinking. Hence intelligence.
Whats to say the dinosaurs didnt think? Whats to say dolphin's dont think.
I dont think there is a real reason. Liek all things in evolution, it was a random event, or many random events and here we are.
The mystery of life is that there is no mystery. Its a rum one huh?
Counter-ranted by
Unknown at Saturday, May 28, 2005 1:40:00 pm
I think there's been a misconception to the question I was posing here. But thank you Jimmy and Jean for putting in your views about why we evolved the ability to think.
My question, however, related more to the cellular mechanism of thinking. For example, what makes the cortex so special that gives us such a wonderful awareness of self and the ability to reason etc. I guess it'd hold for dolphins and other primates (than humans, not dolphins...) if they are able to recognise their own existence etc.
But I don't think I've phrased my train of thought right...um...how is it that large bundles of neurons (e.g. the brain) is able to generate this thing we call "thinking"? I mean, it's relatively clear how the other stuff works, like hunger, fatigue etc. (all that feedback stuff). And what about that nifty little thing we call "memory"? It seems most animals have it, but how does that work? Maybe this is all a little too complex though, and I think it may have to be left as an unanswered question for now.
Counter-ranted by
Wayland at Saturday, May 28, 2005 10:15:00 pm
This was the topic in our last psychology lecture - consciousness. One of the theroies is that a bundle of neurons all fire at the same time as each other when a specific stimulus is present, and soon these get to be 'linked' to that stimulus. This is called co-ordinated neural firing, if you wanted to look it up.
Another theory is the emergent property theory. It says that everything is 'conscious' but there are different levels. So in comparison, a book might be a lot lower than a plant. When something reaches a certain level, it gains a knowledge of self, etc.
The last theory he talked about was to do with quamtum mechanics. This being psych and not physics, he explianed it by saying, "We can't explain consciousness. We can't explain quantum mechanics. Maybe these two things can explain each other."
Nope, didn't expect that to be the topic at all.
Counter-ranted by
Fodder at Sunday, May 29, 2005 3:27:00 am
Counter-rant
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