Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id RAA19756 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 2 Apr 2002 17:08:38 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Wildebeest !! Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 07:44:51 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F130fLOG9ep4Ta00007c8d@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 02 Apr 2002 15:44:52.0091 (UTC) FILETIME=[541A54B0:01C1DA5D] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Hi all,
>
>
>Reading something about altruistic suicide_ somebody kills/ sacrifies him-
>self for the good and better cause // youngsters kill themselves because
>they think that without them around things will get better in the
>household_
>I was wondering !
>
>What about the fact that if wildebeests/ zebra's have to cross a river,
>can/ may
>we ' recognize ' the same characteristic lets say by the first animal that
>jumps into the water and in most cases will/ can be eaten/ killed by a
>crocodile !?
>
>After all, what is the difference between the act of killing oneself to get
>things better and killing yourself by jumping first in the river so that
>the
>group you belong to can/ may cross easier/ savier !? ( If of course my
>reasoning ends up !!)
>Of course, and I agree, we can say that it is the wildebeest its instincts
>that drives it along and the first who gets to the river has no luck_ can
>we
>forsee a link with the boy who commits suicide in order to take away the
>tensions that rages in the household !?
>What makes an animal to go first !? Like we said, instinct !?
>
>Ok, but all the beasts does have, I presume an equal characteristic, so
>in a way, each of them can be the first to jump but only one does it.
>And yes, we can ackowledge the fact that the one who actually jumps
>first is forced/ pushed in to it by the group to take the lead, but can we
>be sure !?
>If so, how and why !?
>
>We had such an discussion before covering why birds go in one direction
>presumably all together at the same moment in time ( they follow a leader),
>but in the case of the wildebesst, if it was the leader who goes first,
>where
>is the gain for the group, left behind without its captain !?
>I reckon it will all come down to instinct and internal behavioral aspects
>but I can 't stop wondering how mush such behavior corresponds with what
>we can observe by a human child.
>
>Moreover, thinking about it, by ants the same behavior can be spotted_
>some dive into the water to make a brigde/ a floating harnas to support
>others so that those can cross, drowning themselves in the process of
>doing so !
>
>Anyone !?
>
>Regards,
>
>Kenneth
Here is evidence from the South China Morning Post that people will resist
putting their lives in danger if they can see a better way to solve a
problem:
Japan researchers labour to spawn robots
By the end of the decade, the people who disarm bombs and search for
survivors after a disaster may no longer need to put their lives on the line
- a machine, possibly made in Japan, will do the dangerous stuff.
Grant
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