Comments on: The Civilization of Frogs http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/ "I like a little science in my fiction" Tue, 22 May 2012 21:22:23 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mukesh http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/comment-page-1/#comment-17281 Mukesh Sun, 20 May 2012 09:08:07 +0000 http://crossedgenres.com/simf/?p=1121#comment-17281 Chanting for animals means to aekawn to the fact that animals have buddha nature and should be respected. I don't mean that a person needs to become a vegetarian in order to respect animals. Some people do think that you do need to become a vegetarian in order to respect animals. But im not going there. One of the big reasons why i started this is because there are over 10,000 animals who are on the endangered list. I have chanted for animals that I use to have and i know that there are a lot of nichiren believers who have animals and they chant for their animals. I came across a nichiren believer who chants for animals who are strays and at the same time takes care of some strays in the back of their house, they also take the strays to the veterinarian and makes sure they get the care they need. I was truly inspired by this person. and again, their a Nichiren believer. Im sure that there are other Nichiren believers who are like this person. I find experiences like that very inspiring. Chanting for animals means to aekawn to the fact that animals have buddha nature and should be respected. I don’t mean that a person needs to become a vegetarian in order to respect animals. Some people do think that you do need to become a vegetarian in order to respect animals. But im not going there. One of the big reasons why i started this is because there are over 10,000 animals who are on the endangered list. I have chanted for animals that I use to have and i know that there are a lot of nichiren believers who have animals and they chant for their animals. I came across a nichiren believer who chants for animals who are strays and at the same time takes care of some strays in the back of their house, they also take the strays to the veterinarian and makes sure they get the care they need. I was truly inspired by this person. and again, their a Nichiren believer. Im sure that there are other Nichiren believers who are like this person. I find experiences like that very inspiring.

]]> By: Felipe http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/comment-page-1/#comment-3396 Felipe Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:54:38 +0000 http://crossedgenres.com/simf/?p=1121#comment-3396 haha loved the image! haha loved the image!

]]> By: Jo Thomas http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/comment-page-1/#comment-3360 Jo Thomas Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:19:36 +0000 http://crossedgenres.com/simf/?p=1121#comment-3360 And then there's the stuff that's smart but (arguably) not proof of intelligence / civilisation. Most pet owners will admit that they've been trained by their pets at least as much as they have trained the animals. People who would argue that they have resisted this and that they are in charge have at least learnt the signals that the animal in question understands and are communicating with them in a manner more closely associated with their species than with humans. Did any of that make sense? And then there’s the stuff that’s smart but (arguably) not proof of intelligence / civilisation. Most pet owners will admit that they’ve been trained by their pets at least as much as they have trained the animals. People who would argue that they have resisted this and that they are in charge have at least learnt the signals that the animal in question understands and are communicating with them in a manner more closely associated with their species than with humans.

Did any of that make sense?

]]> By: bartleib http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/comment-page-1/#comment-3347 bartleib Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:47:49 +0000 http://crossedgenres.com/simf/?p=1121#comment-3347 WHen humans help the intellectual development of another species (intentionally or not), it's called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_uplift" rel="nofollow">biological uplift</a>. It's been used numerous times in SF, and there's no question that it's happening right now, albeit unintentionally. I kind of doubt that we as a species have the patience to do it on purpose. ;) WHen humans help the intellectual development of another species (intentionally or not), it’s called biological uplift. It’s been used numerous times in SF, and there’s no question that it’s happening right now, albeit unintentionally. I kind of doubt that we as a species have the patience to do it on purpose. ;)

]]> By: Carapace http://scienceinmyfiction.com/2010/07/28/the-civilization-of-frogs/comment-page-1/#comment-3346 Carapace Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:31:54 +0000 http://crossedgenres.com/simf/?p=1121#comment-3346 For me, the problem with these sapience tests is that I don't think there is a single solid point at which a species is intelligent or self aware; it seems more like a spectrum. I can't think of anything we do that other species don't do as well *to some degree*. It's not as though humans just woke up one morning and had complicated language and space shuttles. There's a process, and I'm not sure where the tipping point between "clever animal" and "self aware person" really lies. But I think humans might actually be a driving force towards tool use and intelligence in other animals. This is something I'll have to flesh out more in my own time...thanks for making me think! For me, the problem with these sapience tests is that I don’t think there is a single solid point at which a species is intelligent or self aware; it seems more like a spectrum. I can’t think of anything we do that other species don’t do as well *to some degree*. It’s not as though humans just woke up one morning and had complicated language and space shuttles. There’s a process, and I’m not sure where the tipping point between “clever animal” and “self aware person” really lies.
But I think humans might actually be a driving force towards tool use and intelligence in other animals. This is something I’ll have to flesh out more in my own time…thanks for making me think!

]]>