Animal Consciousness: Behavioral flexibility is ubiquitous
Animal Consciousness: Behavioral flexibility is ubiquitous
A large body of scientific evidence stemming from studies of diverse species clearly shows that many nonhuman animals are conscious sentient beings. Let’s stop bickering and pretending that we don’t know this or that about animal consciousness or intentional behavioral flexibility. There are far too many examples to conclude we are exceptional and the only truly conscious beings. While we persist in pondering the obvious, ignoring what we already know and have long known, countless nonhumans continue to be abused by humankind. MARC BEKOFF: Being conscious basically means being awake, aware, and able to perceive one’s thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. […]
STUDY: Tiny fish passed intelligence test that once distinguished great apes
STUDY: Tiny fish passed intelligence test that once distinguished great apes
A 2018 study reported that the ‘cleaner wrasse’ had passed the mirror mark test, but evolutionary psychologist Gordon Gallup believed the fish in these experiments were mistaking the marks on their own bodies for parasites on other fish. In this study, the fish were marked first, then the mirror was introduced for the first time. The fish were likely aware of something unusual on their body, but they couldn’t see it. When the mirror appeared, it immediately provided visual information that matched an existing bodily expectation, hence scraping occurred much faster. This implies self-awareness before being exposed to the […]
‘AI & Animals’: New documentary warns of ‘factory farming 2.0’
‘AI & Animals’: New documentary warns of ‘factory farming 2.0’
The documentary ‘AI & Animals’ highlights how the global debate over large language models (LLMs) has yet to explore what the technology could mean for animal welfare. ‘AI & Animals’ argues that AI could either revolutionize or worsen conditions for farmed animals, and that there is a ‘limited window of time’ in which to pick an outcome. The film predicts one potential ‘nightmare future” where LLMs perpetuate speciesism, and where millions of animals are farmed in increasing density without human oversight. PLANT BASED NEWS: A new documentary examines how AI could either “supercharge” the animal protection movement or significantly worsen […]
