Home
Apes do not ask questions
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 2413
In an article about apes and language (Koko) I come across an interesting statement - that apes (or Koko, and other apes that have been taught to sign) - do not use their language skills to ask questions.
At first this seems curious, especially since they have of late seem given to lecturing us about climate change, but then I reflect upon it further...
Consider the circumstances of the Ape. Raised largely or entirely in captivity, in an environment that it knows instinctively is "wrong", would it even have the awareness to ask questions? Do hostages, prisoners ask questions? From the moment their imprisoned all conditioning is geared towards "learned helplessness", unlikely (despite the hero's of Hollywood that query their captors from the chair where they're tied and being tortured, this is fiction) that an Ape or Chimpanzee would think to question it's captors...
Animals - all animals, are naturally inquisitive, every animal will explore it's surroundings, recognize change, why then do they not voice their questions?
But take if further. How many people ask questions? Real questions, not "how much did that car cost...?", a polite convention, or "What would Jesus Do?", a philosophical idiocy, or "What are you doing tonight?", "How was your week?", polite commonplace rhetoric phrased as questions, but with no real hope of insight or revelation...no self-respecting ape would stoop so low, these are merely unconscious routines of language and manners, ...
---Perhaps the real surprise is not that apes don't ask questions, it's that so few people do...
20,000 Days on Earth
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 2007
Interesting, but I'm a fan. And it you took away the fandom it's be a bit of a slog. You can know too much about your idols, this quest to touch or understand them, it devalues them, there was really no point. I like his work. I like him. That was enough. The documentary adds nothing.
Agnotology
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 2366
Agnotology (formerly agnatology) is the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt, particularly the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data.
Read More Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology
&& the classic: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160105-the-man-who-studies-the-spread-of-ignorance
Curious, we consider that knowledge spreads, but ignorance is forever opposed ... Consider Donald Trump ...
OYR HPR Bradbury
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Theatre
- Hits: 1906
And this, the second in the HPR series. "Experimental". I applaud experimental, it's the foundation of science and all new things...
This was not even remotely successful, redeemed only by the fact it weighed in at a scant hour...
They tried. They failed, I suffered through it. And I'd drop more names but I've seen other of their work that I liked, and so like all theatre and experiments you chalk it up to experience and the chance you take...
Page 707 of 1090