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t-writescodelast Saturday at 4:33 PM3 repliesview on HN

I’m glad we’re doing this research. It makes me wonder how much time and potential we’ve wasted over the years actively assuming non-human animals were just rote automatons.

It seems like a meaningful amount of science has been spent on systematically dismantling pre-existing prejudice over the last hundreds of years (and thousands in some cases and cultures).

  All humans are human.
  Babies can feel pain.
  Plants feel.
  Animals think.
Just … So much wasted time on what should have always been seen as true.

I get that some cultures already thought some of these things, but many of these were sadly not prevailing.


Replies

chickensonglast Saturday at 11:36 PM

> It makes me wonder how much time and potential we’ve wasted over the years actively assuming non-human animals were just rote automatons.

It's pretty easy to see that most things above plankton aren't rote automatons. Anyone claiming otherwise just has an agenda to sell.

adjejmxbdjdnlast Saturday at 4:43 PM

I don’t believe there’s any evidence behind plant’s feeling or thinking.

Other than that you’re right.

show 2 replies
mcswelllast Saturday at 7:27 PM

11 distinct calls is something a rote automaton could easily cope with. So I don't think this study proves much of anything about birds' cognitive abilities.