Rats are capable of Metacognition

In other words, they know what they don't know.
http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2007/03/08/known-unknowns-rats-are-capable-of-metacognition

Hey Simon,

Thanks for providing this rather interesting piece. For quite sometime now, I've always felt that we as a species have placed ourselves on too high a pedestal. There are other creatures that are intelligent in ways that we are just beginning to understand. However, as technology advances, I'm quite sure that we will continue to discover new forms of intelligence in life forms previously thought to be lowly. Remember too; that the "lowly" cockroach has survived for eons (even outlasting the mighty dinosaurs) in basically the same form we see today. Some say, they may even outlive us. :o

Peace 8)
NIMHmaniac

Who says other animals ain't smart. We only test them by our own edumacation standards. If we tested them by their own special standards, they would be geniuses in their own fields.

That's very interesting. It makes me wonder what else our furry comrades can do that we don't know.

It also proves that the assumption that humans are the smartest animals on earth is rather arrogant and prideful.

On another note, I had a theory... assuming evolution has scientific merit, what exactly happened with human beings? Of all the animals on earth, humans seem to me to be the -least- adapted for life here. Almost as if evolution happened in reverse. I don't think many would survive these days without the aid of at least some form of technology. n.n

--Tzol

On another note, I had a theory... assuming evolution has scientific merit, what exactly happened with human beings? Of all the animals on earth, humans seem to me to be the -least- adapted for life here. Almost as if evolution happened in reverse. I don't think many would survive these days without the aid of at least some form of technology. n.n

From a biological perspective, technology (or "tool use") /is/ our adaptation. Once ancient man learned how to beat his competition or food over the head with a club--and no other creature developed this adaptation in any sufficiently advanced way to compete, /we/ became the dominant species.

I'm not going to get into the can of worms that is the debate between evolution vs. creation, though. I have my views on the subject, but I don't feel it's particularly relevant to the main topic.

...Okay. I wasn't wanting to get into the whole evolution vs creation thing either, as I think they both have their truths.. I was just stating something I found rather amusing. n.n;

From a biological perspective, technology (or "tool use") /is/ our adaptation. Once ancient man learned how to beat his competition or food over the head with a club--and no other creature developed this adaptation in any sufficiently advanced way to compete, /we/ became the dominant species.

As described in 2001: A Space Odyssey in both its raw book form and its Stanley Kubrick film. The start of the film shows ancient primapes and their use of "tools". I'll admit, the whole bit out the monolith is purely artistic fiction on both the original books author, Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick who directed the '68 film adaptation. I merely mentioned this film/book as a reference to ancient humans developing the use of technology and use the first known tools to better their life styles and eventually become the dominant animal on this little world of ours.