Post by Fractal on Feb 5, 2014 22:17:26 GMT
If anyone missed this programme yesterday evening (Tuesday 4th February) I can thoroughly recommend watching it on iplayer. It was concerned with animals (other than us) that have the ability to problem solve, plan, remember elements of puzzles shown to them in the past, and make mental leaps of insight to solve the puzzle when all the elements are brought together for the first time.
Tool making is included and not just in laboratories but in the wild. The Great Apes as might be expected are included in this small elite group of creatures but perhaps to some, the Corvids (Crows) are also included. One species in particular shows incredible mental ability and no, it's not instinct or some inbuilt mechanism, but real brain power.
It shows that the corolation between the size of the animal and it's brain size is important. One sequence shows various animals brains in jars from smallest to largest.The crows brain (about half he size of a dogs) is surprising as the crow can truly problem solve. What seems to be a common and important theme here is that all intelligent problem solving animals have relatively huge brains compared to their body size. Crow brain is huge compared to the size of the bird, dog not so large with a relatively large body.
All these animals are highly social too, Man, Dolphin, Apes, Larger Parrot's and Crows.
Watch it, you will be quite amazed by the crows and in particular the New Caledonian Crows that seem to top all intelligence tests. The sentient intelligence within!
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03tt7jm/Inside_the_Animal_Mind_The_Problem_Solvers/
Tool making is included and not just in laboratories but in the wild. The Great Apes as might be expected are included in this small elite group of creatures but perhaps to some, the Corvids (Crows) are also included. One species in particular shows incredible mental ability and no, it's not instinct or some inbuilt mechanism, but real brain power.
It shows that the corolation between the size of the animal and it's brain size is important. One sequence shows various animals brains in jars from smallest to largest.The crows brain (about half he size of a dogs) is surprising as the crow can truly problem solve. What seems to be a common and important theme here is that all intelligent problem solving animals have relatively huge brains compared to their body size. Crow brain is huge compared to the size of the bird, dog not so large with a relatively large body.
All these animals are highly social too, Man, Dolphin, Apes, Larger Parrot's and Crows.
Watch it, you will be quite amazed by the crows and in particular the New Caledonian Crows that seem to top all intelligence tests. The sentient intelligence within!
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03tt7jm/Inside_the_Animal_Mind_The_Problem_Solvers/
