Thinking About Animal Intelligences, Science, and Faith
I've been thinking about animal intelligences, science and faith a lot lately. Reading and researching about them, too.
I read more about Koko the signing gorilla, and was a bit saddened. While I obviously believe that Koko uses ASL to communicate with her keepers and other humans, I now believe that that whole experiment has really gone bad. It would appear that her primary caregiver is overly invested in Koko, and that she sees communication where there is none. That and the sexual harassment suits that have been filed because of Koko's behaviors, and more so because of her "owner's" manner of handing the resultant complaints, have led me to feel that that relationship is probably "toxic," both for the gorilla and for her keeper. That saddened me. I'm not saying they should separate them from each other, I just don't believe that the scientific community, in particular, and the community in general, can believe much of what Dr. Patterson says. It seems like a textbook case of anthropomorphism to me. There is a published online "conversation" between Koko, an AOL monitor, and members of the public. While Koko was communicating with Dr. Patterson, she most certainly was not having a conversation with the people on the web. The transcript is published as supposed evidence of this spectacular interview that everyday people were allowed with Koko, when really, it was Dr. Patterson answering their questions, Dr. Patterson talking to Koko, and Koko goofing around, and just plain being a gorilla. I think she's plenty smart, and that most animals are, but I don't think that the communicative gap between apes and humans has necessarily found its bridge in the work of Dr. Penny Patterson.
That said, I don't think that humans are necessarily smarter than all of the other animals. That parallels my belief that most people have something to bring to the conversational table, and that there are different kinds of intelligence, even within one species.
I've also been thinking about faith, spirituality, and God, or a higher power, or whatever... I've been reading more about that, too. I am struck by the fact that the three most brilliantly intelligent men I have ever met are all agnostics, or were. My friend, Professor Frank Teti, who just passed away, taught at MIIS, NPS, and MPC. He was an intellectual giant. He had such innate insights into the human spirit, consciousness, politics, and psychology ~ he used to take me out to lunch every day, and we would talk for hours about so many things. Knowing him was a truly life-altering experience. I was touched one year because he gave the commencement address at NPS, and talked about me in that speech ~ it was like, how could this amazingly brilliant man find insights in what I have to say?!! He was a damn good doggie.
Another friend of mine, who is an engineer for Sun Microsystems, is also extremely intelligent, and also agnostic. He and I have had quite the interesting conversations, about many things, as well.
A new friend is, in his quiet way, definitely challenging the insight and intellect of Frank Teti. I am amazed and impressed by the depth and breadth of ythis person's knowledge, even when we disagree, by the insights he has into human and animal intellect, by the questions he asks, the explanations he provides, and by challenging me to challenge myself.
I'm not done yet, not done reading, not done learning about intelligence, or thinking about faith and God, or discussing these things. But I have an interesting idea bouncing around my head, and I am not entirely convinced that I am wrong in this, although I am sure that religious and scientific people alike would be against the notion, mostly religious people........ A friend asked me if it was possible that there is nothing after death. While I don't want to believe that, I had to admit that it is possible. What I want to know is, is it possible that God and Science are one and the same? Rather than a "Holy Trinity," which is, like most religion, a manmade artifact or explanation of the unknown, could there be an 'ultimate duality' that explains everything, and that comprises all of mankind's religious and scientific knowledge capacity? I am curious about that possibility. I haven't fleshed it all out, yet, and I have only mentioned it to one person, but I am invigorated by the possibility that the convergence of science and faith provides.
I read more about Koko the signing gorilla, and was a bit saddened. While I obviously believe that Koko uses ASL to communicate with her keepers and other humans, I now believe that that whole experiment has really gone bad. It would appear that her primary caregiver is overly invested in Koko, and that she sees communication where there is none. That and the sexual harassment suits that have been filed because of Koko's behaviors, and more so because of her "owner's" manner of handing the resultant complaints, have led me to feel that that relationship is probably "toxic," both for the gorilla and for her keeper. That saddened me. I'm not saying they should separate them from each other, I just don't believe that the scientific community, in particular, and the community in general, can believe much of what Dr. Patterson says. It seems like a textbook case of anthropomorphism to me. There is a published online "conversation" between Koko, an AOL monitor, and members of the public. While Koko was communicating with Dr. Patterson, she most certainly was not having a conversation with the people on the web. The transcript is published as supposed evidence of this spectacular interview that everyday people were allowed with Koko, when really, it was Dr. Patterson answering their questions, Dr. Patterson talking to Koko, and Koko goofing around, and just plain being a gorilla. I think she's plenty smart, and that most animals are, but I don't think that the communicative gap between apes and humans has necessarily found its bridge in the work of Dr. Penny Patterson.
That said, I don't think that humans are necessarily smarter than all of the other animals. That parallels my belief that most people have something to bring to the conversational table, and that there are different kinds of intelligence, even within one species.
I've also been thinking about faith, spirituality, and God, or a higher power, or whatever... I've been reading more about that, too. I am struck by the fact that the three most brilliantly intelligent men I have ever met are all agnostics, or were. My friend, Professor Frank Teti, who just passed away, taught at MIIS, NPS, and MPC. He was an intellectual giant. He had such innate insights into the human spirit, consciousness, politics, and psychology ~ he used to take me out to lunch every day, and we would talk for hours about so many things. Knowing him was a truly life-altering experience. I was touched one year because he gave the commencement address at NPS, and talked about me in that speech ~ it was like, how could this amazingly brilliant man find insights in what I have to say?!! He was a damn good doggie.
Another friend of mine, who is an engineer for Sun Microsystems, is also extremely intelligent, and also agnostic. He and I have had quite the interesting conversations, about many things, as well.
A new friend is, in his quiet way, definitely challenging the insight and intellect of Frank Teti. I am amazed and impressed by the depth and breadth of ythis person's knowledge, even when we disagree, by the insights he has into human and animal intellect, by the questions he asks, the explanations he provides, and by challenging me to challenge myself.
I'm not done yet, not done reading, not done learning about intelligence, or thinking about faith and God, or discussing these things. But I have an interesting idea bouncing around my head, and I am not entirely convinced that I am wrong in this, although I am sure that religious and scientific people alike would be against the notion, mostly religious people........ A friend asked me if it was possible that there is nothing after death. While I don't want to believe that, I had to admit that it is possible. What I want to know is, is it possible that God and Science are one and the same? Rather than a "Holy Trinity," which is, like most religion, a manmade artifact or explanation of the unknown, could there be an 'ultimate duality' that explains everything, and that comprises all of mankind's religious and scientific knowledge capacity? I am curious about that possibility. I haven't fleshed it all out, yet, and I have only mentioned it to one person, but I am invigorated by the possibility that the convergence of science and faith provides.
posted by Nana @ 12:26
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