Pollyanna
Platinum Member
GD, there's some interesting things when we try to parse conscious and instinctive, in the same way as it's hard to parse life and non-life (eg. viruses).
Animals think but not abstractly.
Now look at music. We could say that animals can't play music (though there's a lot of evidence that they can enjoy it).
But humans can't sing a bird's or a whale's song ... although we can record the songs and release them as a new age meditation aid - albeit with no credit or royalties for the composers!
Or how about this chimp's classy Cecil Taylor tribute? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1HMm4pOwg
Animals think but not abstractly.
Now look at music. We could say that animals can't play music (though there's a lot of evidence that they can enjoy it).
But humans can't sing a bird's or a whale's song ... although we can record the songs and release them as a new age meditation aid - albeit with no credit or royalties for the composers!
Or how about this chimp's classy Cecil Taylor tribute? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1HMm4pOwg