Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA08336 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 7 Jun 2000 11:02:49 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D31017458B1@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Jabbering ! Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 11:00:46 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Flying, swimming or walking from one place to another isn't communication.
Migratory birds have senses which give them excellent spatial awareness
systems. What they don't do is phone up their dovecot for instructions on
how to get home (or look at a map)!
How do dogs and cats know when their masters are coming home from work? Two
basic reasons for this. First it is Pavlovian, because work routines mean
that people return at roughly the same time day after day and the animal
tunes into that timeframe. Second, cat and dog senses in terms of scent and
sound are more acute than humans, so that the animals can here someone
coming up the path, or parking the car before any humans in the house.
I did see a TV experiment once where they had a camera on a dog and a camera
on a person going out on random journeys, and the aim was to see how quickly
the dog realised that their owner was coming home. It appeared that as soon
as the owner decided to go home, the dog went to the front door. I can't
remember what the programme's explanation was (if it gave one). I think
there is also the factor here that is evident in things like clairvoyence-
we remember only those times the animal guesses correctly that the owner is
coming home, and not those times when they get it wrong.
However, what is very clear again, is that the dog doesn't know it's owner
is coming home because it phoned them on their mobile phone a few minutes
before! :-)
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Kenneth Van Oost
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 6, 2000 7:46 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: Jabbering !
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
> Sent: Friday, June 02, 2000 3:48 PM
> >
> > One key qualitative difference is that humans have developed the means
> of
> > communicating over time and space distances that other organisms do not.
> > Other animals can communicate over great distances, although I'm not
> aware
> > of any other animal that can communicate across continents the way
> humans
> > can (I've heard that story about whale song travelling hundreds of
> miles-
> or
> > it did before there were lots of ship engines around, is that true- I
> ask
> > out of interest, not disbelief). But the aspect of communication over
> time
> > seems even more significant and distinct to me, as it allows
> > ideas/information to survive their creators (both individuals and
> cultures).
>
> <<I know a few list-members won' t like that, but what about Sheldrakes
> experiments !?
> How do pigeons fly home !? Do they " communicate " with their dovecot !?
> How do cats and dogs know when their master is coming home from work ?
>
> Communication over time or information which surpasses its creator !? >>
>
> Regards,
>
> Kenneth
>
> (I am, because we are)
>
>
>
>
> ===============================================================
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>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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