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Posted on: Disappearing Car Doors
at 11/01/2009 6:26am

G' Day Folks

Just thought this was interesting I don't know if it has been posted before.

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G' Day Folks

Just thought this was interesting I don't know if it has been posted before.

http://www.disappearing-car-door.com/

I'm in two minds about it, quite impressive though. a bit boring inside no armrests, will it take off, I don't know.

The boot's a mess but it is only a prototype. what do you think.

Cheers for now Aussiebloke close(-)

Posted on: Teaching great apes to make fire?
at 01/14/2009 9:42am

G' Day Folks.G' Day and thanks for the reply ALP. >I always wanted to go into Comparative Psychology.<What do you ... more(+)

G' Day Folks.
G' Day and thanks for the reply ALP.
>I always wanted to go into Comparative Psychology.<
What do you mean "go into" I think you are doing okay and yes it is fascinating stuff.
It's good to see a thread where it is excepted that an animal can reason things out without the, it's only instinct or they are only imitating.  
Regarding signing BSJ have you watched their hand movements I'll use the words sloppy/clumsy to convey what I mean, in a doco a signer taps her palm with two fingers/tips the primate taps his/her palm with their knuckles there was a doco where the chimp communicated using a big touch pad with pictures on it, the chimp used its knuckles to press.
What I'm trying to say is, is this clumsy hand manner preventing them from reaching another level.
I realize you mean as in communicating.
What comes first though? How can the brain develop, experience new skills if you are limited by your physical abilities.
It is interesting to see if you take a primate out of the jungle and let him/her live in your environment they can pick up new skills showing they have much more mental capacity but he/she is never going to be able to make something as intricate as the cigarette lighter.(Assembling one)
A dolphin is capable of a lot more.
The Hobbit's hand according to a specialist is not fully dexterous yet makes mode 1 stone tools.
Being bipedal able to run down an animal cross the plains explore new places etc is great but if you are awkward with your hands it locks you into a level of development as are the primates, the Hobbit had reached a level, they've all been around as long as we have what is the key or keys?
What came first? The mind boggles.
Cheers for now Aussiebloke
 

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Posted on: Teaching great apes to make fire?
at 01/13/2009 7:37am

G' Day folks.G' Day Schmack thanks for the reply.Yes I agree with you and regarding the lighter I think she said ... more(+)

G' Day folks.
G' Day Schmack thanks for the reply.
Yes I agree with you and regarding the lighter I think she said there was no training involved he just picked things up, although interesting it is a fine line.
I'm really interested in the cases where they follow through repeatedly without the need of encouragement because the "will" is there to do it and they know they will get a result from their efforts.
This link I think will interest you.
I have seen a doco where a chimp deliberately goes and gets a rock (at some distance) and returns to the tree with the nuts that require cracking never loosing sight of his/her objective as this link also points out.
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/origins/hominid_journey/optional3.html
I've had to train people in my working life and if the "will" to learn is not there they will either loose interest or do it halfhearted never really mastering it.
I've worked with the mentally handicapped and found their attention span for a particular task was too short (the group I was in charge of training) you had to stay with them (encourage them) the moment you left them to the task, their concentration waned, yet if there was something in it for them they were very cunning. (Even working as a group to achieve it)
I see no difference.
I have quite a variety of birds in my backyard over the years there have been birds that just stand out with a special ability/ies self-taught and yet none of the group or their young carried it on it died with them.
This is in regards to your point about passing knowledge on it is a real hit and miss affair.
It is the subtle things I'm interested in for-instance being bipedal is a good start but developing it to a point where being able to run like the wind and able to keep it up for long distances is what sets us apart. 
Being bipedal freed up the upper limbs but it's being really dexterous brain/eye/hand coordination that sets us apart.
The ability/the will to just fiddle, to remain at a task until it is accomplished sets us apart.
You see primates using tools able to pass on that ability some bipedal they have been here as long as we have they have had the same opportunities as we have had, I personal don't believe it is the "size" of the brain rather more to do with the wiring.
I base this on the fact there are pygmies/midgets people with very little Grey matter (just a thin film/tissue) functioning very well in this modern world.
The Hobbit really interest me for this reason making mode 1 stone tools etc.
Better go Cheers for now Aussiebloke

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Posted on: Teaching great apes to make fire?
at 01/12/2009 7:10am

G' Day FolksThought you might like these links. more(+)

G' Day Folks
Thought you might like these links.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/toolbar/#topic=Anthropology&url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253Da8nDJaH-fVE
 
http://www.stumbleupon.com/toolbar/#topic=Anthropology&url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253Da8nDJaH-fVE
 
Regarding fire lighting using fiction there was a doco not long ago where a group of individuals were doing a course on survival in the bush they were all were given the same material required to get a fire started and told to keep it dry.
 
It was part of the course and so was important to pass this test, time went by none of them succeeding in getting a fire going, coming up with sorts of excuses as to why they were failing, anyway an expert fire lighter finally pays them a visit at their camp site, using the material they had been given he has a fire going in no time.
 
 
What interested me was witnessing the lifting of the mental block that they had developed he "showed them" it could be done.
 
Instead of a lot of explaining he "showed them"  using the look and learn method.
 
In about a week they all could light a fire competently.
 
As ALP was pointing out there is a feel to it.
 
There was also another doco where these natives were making their weapons the researcher noted there was very little conversation regarding the making of the weapons young boys watched on as did the girls with the women folk picking up on what to do by hands on, look and learn.
 
I'm only mentioning this because it was not long ago where those in the field would say primates imitated humans learn or you teach a human a chimp/animals imitate.
 
I'm not talking about blindly imitating rather where say a chimp realizes there is an advantage/reward in using a tool and others in the group watch on and learn, persevering/driven on because the reward is worth it.
 
I see no difference.
 
Cheers for now Aussiebloke
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

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Posted on: First a hobbit, then it wasn’t, then it was,...
at 12/22/2008 9:05am

G' Day Folks.This is a documentary I saw not long ago.I thought I'd put the links here for those who ... more(+)

G' Day Folks.
This is a documentary I saw not long ago.
I thought I'd put the links here for those who haven't. 
Yes this is science at work some sceptic just has to make a statement then its up to those who are really dedicated to prove or disprove the sceptics statement. 
From three to five gets interesting I think you can safely rule out microcephaly, this is a small species.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7ujHK3IQbco  http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=AaA4l33JnwA&feature=related
  http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=pJEua6AespI&feature=related
  http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TWdvQ40VRIA&feature=related
  http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=bsGCSsSNIvw&feature=related
 
Cheers Aussiebloke
   
 

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