Animal Consciousness Article

I haven't had a chance to read the entire article but I had to laugh a bit at this part, as it's so true.  Thanks for sharing.

 "The philosophical issues surrounding the interpretation of experiments to investigate perception, learning, categorization, memory, spatial cognition, numerosity, communication, language, social cognition, theory of mind, causal reasoning, and metacognition in animals are discussed in the entry on animal cognition. Despite all this work, the topic of consciousness per se in animals has remained controversial, even taboo, among scientists, even while it remains a matter of common sense to most people that many other animals do have conscious experiences."

 Jackie

 Since I decided to leave a tenured position in academia as a professor of civil engineering, convinced of the superiority of spending quality time with my dogs (and not w/ colleagues and administrators), I have spent the past 7 years revisiting the field of my avocation I discovered as an undergraduate - philosophy.

Well, after engaging with these type of folk on various web forums, I think they are more than overrated, they are, by and large, insecure and vindictive.

I find more pleasure in watching Peanut sashay by, tail held high and showing her butt.

It's of Nature, I think, that we owe our fascination.

 Just saw a 2012 PBS Nature show (long) on whale and dolphin intelligence, self-awareness, innate empathy, inter-species and extra-species communication.  Just amazing!

 Mommas don't let your babies grow up to read humanities...let 'em study beagles, and bovines, and such... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/animal-studies-move-from-the-lab-to-the-lecture-hall.html?_r=1

'bout time!  ^