Just think, two hundred years from now, they'll have discovered a system to effectively use pistols and knives, and a lucky crow that slips into a nuclear missile silo will return to his black-feathered compatriots and tell them the secret to wiping humanity from the face of the planet.
Two-hundred years from now we'll have laser swords and hoverboards. Humans win.
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ArchonexNo hard feelings, right?Registered Userregular
Just think, two hundred years from now, they'll have discovered a system to effectively use pistols and knives, and a lucky crow that slips into a nuclear missile silo will return to his black-feathered compatriots and tell them the secret to wiping humanity from the face of the planet.
Two-hundred years from now we'll have laser swords and hoverboards. Humans win.
Birds can already fly, and all they need to do is steal a laser shiv and fly at you with it while holding it in your general direction.
You guys are assuming the crows are playing catch-up. I think the crows are actually responsible for modern human civilisation. Once, the mighty crow civilisation tried to build robots, but there were problems such as the inevitable robot uprisings and such. Eventually, they decided to try a different approach. They directed humanity to evolve at a faster than normal pace, occasionally seeding us with technological advances. Now, they just chill around all day and living off of the byproducts of human civilisation. We are their robot servants!
I thought that one you posted mentioned that. Oh, but now that I think about it it's probably "tools they don't use in the wild" or something, mentioning that they adapt to lab conditions.
Still, though, why crows specifically? Why no other bird? Have we just not observed it in other birds? I wonder if they teach, or if this comes to each of them naturally. It boggles the hell out of me.
They DEFINITELY do teach each other. There was an experiment where the researcher set up a vending machine that took normal coins and dispensed food. The researcher scattered coins around the vending machine and the crows learned to deposit the coins to get food.
Then, the researcher stopped scattering coins and the crows left. However, occasionally, a crow would come back with a coin and deposit it to get food. In addition to that, crows that weren't part of the original group were coming to the vending machine and depositing coins to get food.
I thought that one you posted mentioned that. Oh, but now that I think about it it's probably "tools they don't use in the wild" or something, mentioning that they adapt to lab conditions.
Still, though, why crows specifically? Why no other bird? Have we just not observed it in other birds? I wonder if they teach, or if this comes to each of them naturally. It boggles the hell out of me.
They DEFINITELY do teach each other. There was an experiment where the researcher set up a vending machine that took normal coins and dispensed food. The researcher scattered coins around the vending machine and the crows learned to deposit the coins to get food.
Then, the researcher stopped scattering coins and the crows left. However, occasionally, a crow would come back with a coin and deposit it to get food. In addition to that, crows that weren't part of the original group were coming to the vending machine and depositing coins to get food.
That's just terrifying.
Fixed
I totally want to teach some crows how to assault my neighbors. Give them a picture of him, and when they peck his eyes, they get food. Ta-daaaa! :P
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
I remember seeing what I think was a Discovery Channel special on crows.
At the end during the credits, it showed a crow in a cage, with the door openable via pulling on a string. The guy also left some food in a combination safe, turning the knob and opening it right in front of the crow.
After the guy left, the crow proceeded to pull the string and escape from the cage. It then turned the combination knob on the safe and opened it, getting the food inside.
I remember seeing what I think was a Discovery Channel special on crows.
At the end during the credits, it showed a crow in a cage, with the door openable via pulling on a string. The guy also left some food in a combination safe, turning the knob and opening it right in front of the crow.
After the guy left, the crow proceeded to pull the string and escape from the cage. It then turned the combination knob on the safe and opened it, getting the food inside.
Clever girl.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a direct genetic link between crows and velociraptors.
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
Alex was supposed to be a total dick, though. Like he was just a huge ass of a parrot.
Thus lending credence to my theory that with great intelligence comes great dickishness.
His wikipedia page is adorable, or was he just a cock(a)to other parrots?
Sorry...the bad joke thread is which way?
Well, apparently what happened with Alex is that once they taught him how to talk and ask for things, he just completely quit doing things himself. Like, they would set up puzzles or something with a reward for him to solve that other parrots could do just fine, but he refused to do them, and instead just kept screaming for the experimenters to give him the reward.
African Grey parrots are considered to be talented talking parrots. Unlike other parrots, wild African Greys have been documented imitating the calls of several other species. African Grey parrots have been tested using rigorous scientific standards, and are classed alongside the most intelligent animal species. Dr. Irene Pepperberg's extensive research with captive African greys, famously with a bird named Alex, has claimed they posess the ability to associate human words with meanings, and to intelligently apply the abstract concepts of shape, color, number, zero-sense, etc.
Alex was supposed to be a total dick, though. Like he was just a huge ass of a parrot.
Thus lending credence to my theory that with great intelligence comes great dickishness.
His wikipedia page is adorable, or was he just a cock(a)to other parrots?
Sorry...the bad joke thread is which way?
Well, apparently what happened with Alex is that once they taught him how to talk and ask for things, he just completely quit doing things himself. Like, they would set up puzzles or something with a reward for him to solve that other parrots could do just fine, but he refused to do them, and instead just kept screaming for the experimenters to give him the reward.
This is why I'm just never going to teach my children to talk. And man, this is some crazy stuff. Birds bending wires to make tools, using coins to get food from vending machines generations later. Bad-mouthing parrots. I had considered that perhaps we're not the smartest creatures on the planet before (since we are incapable of balance), but this crows guiding the evolution of man thing is starting to have some possibility.
Crows aren't the only birds that can learn to use tools. There's a few others.
I saw a documentary a while ago, I think it was one of Discovery's "Top Ten X". They do stuff like "Top 10 dangerous animals", stuff like that. This one was 10 smartest animals, with crows and a few other species of bird as #1. There were a few different criteria they talked about. They brought up African Grey parrots, who can not only mimic like other parrots, but also understand what it is they're mimicing. They showed a dynamic conversation between the parrot and it's owner, including both asking how the other's day had been.
Anyway, I was reminded specifically of this because a few pages back, someone made an off-hand comment about crows learning to break into people's cars. Well, it wasn't crows, but they did show a group of birds who lived near some ski resort who had learned how to exactly that. They first would check the handle to see if the owner forgot to lock it, and with some persistence could slowly ease most doors open. If that avenue was unavailable, they would check to see if the window was cracked, break off the car antenna(if it was weak enough), and then use it to reach into the car and hit the power windows or locks. Once inside, they'd rifle through the glove compartments and change pots, in addition to the rest of the car, and make off with whatever food they could find. That show gave me a whole new level of respect for birds.
Crows aren't the only birds that can learn to use tools. There's a few others.
I saw a documentary a while ago, I think it was one of Discovery's "Top Ten X". They do stuff like "Top 10 dangerous animals", stuff like that. This one was 10 smartest animals, with crows and a few other species of bird as #1. There were a few different criteria they talked about. They brought up African Grey parrots, who can not only mimic like other parrots, but also understand what it is they're mimicing. They showed a dynamic conversation between the parrot and it's owner, including both asking how the other's day had been.
Anyway, I was reminded specifically of this because a few pages back, someone made an off-hand comment about crows learning to break into people's cars. Well, it wasn't crows, but they did show a group of birds who lived near some ski resort who had learned how to exactly that. They first would check the handle to see if the owner forgot to lock it, and with some persistence could slowly ease most doors open. If that avenue was unavailable, they would check to see if the window was cracked, break off the car antenna(if it was weak enough), and then use it to reach into the car and hit the power windows or locks. Once inside, they'd rifle through the glove compartments and change pots, in addition to the rest of the car, and make off with whatever food they could find. That show gave me a whole new level of respect for birds.
Sounds like the Kea. They're hawk-sized alpine parrots from New Zealand that love breaking into/destroying cars and other man-made equipment. They've also been known to feed on sheep while they're still alive.
BloodySloth on
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Psychotic OneThe Lord of No PantsParts UnknownRegistered Userregular
edited August 2009
Unknown fact about crows.
They have long ago developed cold fusion as a form of energy and are just waiting to evolve thumbs to enter the Ctrl + Alt + [Destroy] keys on the control board to wipe the human plauge from their world.
I for one welcome and worship our avian overlords and hope they keep me around to trick survivors into labor camps.
One consistency I've noticed in all these anecdotes and tests is that the reward is always food. I will be absolutely blown away if somebody discovers that crows have natural curiosity and just want to know things or do things even without a tangible reward.
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Birds can already fly, and all they need to do is steal a laser shiv and fly at you with it while holding it in your general direction.
I totally want to teach some crows how to assault my neighbors. Give them a picture of him, and when they peck his eyes, they get food. Ta-daaaa! :P
PSN: SAW776
Many other species of birds display quite a bit of intelligence, actually--corvids have just been among the most impressive so far.
For example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_grey
Alex was supposed to be a total dick, though. Like he was just a huge ass of a parrot.
At the end during the credits, it showed a crow in a cage, with the door openable via pulling on a string. The guy also left some food in a combination safe, turning the knob and opening it right in front of the crow.
After the guy left, the crow proceeded to pull the string and escape from the cage. It then turned the combination knob on the safe and opened it, getting the food inside.
Clever girl.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a direct genetic link between crows and velociraptors.
Thus lending credence to my theory that with great intelligence comes great dickishness.
His wikipedia page is adorable, or was he just a cock(a)to other parrots?
Sorry...the bad joke thread is which way?
Well, apparently what happened with Alex is that once they taught him how to talk and ask for things, he just completely quit doing things himself. Like, they would set up puzzles or something with a reward for him to solve that other parrots could do just fine, but he refused to do them, and instead just kept screaming for the experimenters to give him the reward.
This is why I'm just never going to teach my children to talk. And man, this is some crazy stuff. Birds bending wires to make tools, using coins to get food from vending machines generations later. Bad-mouthing parrots. I had considered that perhaps we're not the smartest creatures on the planet before (since we are incapable of balance), but this crows guiding the evolution of man thing is starting to have some possibility.
I saw a documentary a while ago, I think it was one of Discovery's "Top Ten X". They do stuff like "Top 10 dangerous animals", stuff like that. This one was 10 smartest animals, with crows and a few other species of bird as #1. There were a few different criteria they talked about. They brought up African Grey parrots, who can not only mimic like other parrots, but also understand what it is they're mimicing. They showed a dynamic conversation between the parrot and it's owner, including both asking how the other's day had been.
Anyway, I was reminded specifically of this because a few pages back, someone made an off-hand comment about crows learning to break into people's cars. Well, it wasn't crows, but they did show a group of birds who lived near some ski resort who had learned how to exactly that. They first would check the handle to see if the owner forgot to lock it, and with some persistence could slowly ease most doors open. If that avenue was unavailable, they would check to see if the window was cracked, break off the car antenna(if it was weak enough), and then use it to reach into the car and hit the power windows or locks. Once inside, they'd rifle through the glove compartments and change pots, in addition to the rest of the car, and make off with whatever food they could find. That show gave me a whole new level of respect for birds.
Sounds like the Kea. They're hawk-sized alpine parrots from New Zealand that love breaking into/destroying cars and other man-made equipment. They've also been known to feed on sheep while they're still alive.
They have long ago developed cold fusion as a form of energy and are just waiting to evolve thumbs to enter the Ctrl + Alt + [Destroy] keys on the control board to wipe the human plauge from their world.
I for one welcome and worship our avian overlords and hope they keep me around to trick survivors into labor camps.
When I crow back at them, they all just stop and glare at me with a murderous stare.