Human Language vs Animal Communication Systems

From what different experts or random people have meant, one can conclude more or less that language is the “emergence of thought in the natural world”. Through the complicated process of muscle activation and breath, sound is produced, the info of which we decode for the purpose of inserting the meaning into our minds. Animals, also living beings, have similarly developed communication systems so as to interact easier. The question is, on what do those two differ? They differ in three points.

The first one is called “Discrete Infinity”. Language as a tool has at its disposal a discrete number of fundamental units, the alphabet.  From these 26 little legos the human mind has offered outflows of tens of thousands of books, essays, dialogues, academic papers. This diversity of output, as time passes, goes to infinity. On the contrary, while animals do have basic mechanisms of communication, it is hard to say that they have the ability to express this great complexity.

The second difference lies on the thinking of time, space and the abstract. A human can speak about its baby age in the past and dream the love of its life in the future. On the other hand, an animal expresses itself at the moment. A human discusses on countries kilometers away, travels with a plan, and in general has sufficient clarity for many things that aren't at the exact place it is being/living. For the animals the dimension “space” is very restricted, they can only reach an understanding on what is “there”, “here”, “a little further”. Moreover, humans think abstractly, we talk about justice, write poems and compose music. Animals cannot comprehend that “sadness is getting more beautiful because we look like her” or “do a leap faster than decaying”.

The third one is on the purpose of communication. In the human/animal society every member has a role to play for a common purpose. That's why we have to transfer images from one to another, to get into the shoes of the other so that we function more efficiently as a whole. Two monkeys look at the same wig, may know that they see the same wig, but cannot interact in that complex way we humans do.

Source: The info was taken from a MOOC(online lesson) in coursera.org called Human Linguistics, the teacher was Dutch.

It seems that the root/basic difference that is preceding the differences above is the intelligence factor and it is explained by Michio Kaku why we were the species that got it at a blog link here: http://ideanautica.blogspot.gr/2017/02/michio-kaku-on-evolution-of-intelligence.html

Pythagorean Cup

Imagine Pythagoras in one of his school feasts in southern Italy looking at his pupils having fun. He sees some drinking too much and thinks about the vices of men. So he decides to teach them a lesson, involving math as always. What was later conceived was one of the most simple and marvelous ancient gadgets.

What is it?

The cup is exactly like all the others, though it differentiates in 2 things. First, inside of the space where the liquid is to be, there is a small bit lifted in the middle. Second, inside the bit there is a route for the liquid that goes, as the below image demonstrates, out of the cup.  

How does it work?

So, you fill water in. Until you reach the discontinuous line everything is fine. The water will concentrate around the bit and inside it, but only in the right side of the liquid route. When more liquid is thrown and the line is passed, the laws of nature take charge. What happens is that liquid falls in the right side of the bit holl and a route is created that is pushed by the weight of the rest of the liquid. End result = no liquid to drink :(

Algorithm “filling the drink”:

litresofwater = 0

enter the loop/startfilling

{

litresofwater = litresofwater + litrespouredintothebottle

if (litresofwater > limit)

go to A

else

continue loop, but first

If (you want to stop)

go to B

}

A: throw slowly the liquid out

B: stop filling and drink as you like

End of Algorithm

It is also very interesting because during the application of the algorithm you get schooled by dead physical matter which at least i think is wow. Step one, you fill the cup, it's your trial, this step is in your total control. If you don't cheat your classmates everything is fine you are equal among equals, you have respected the fair distribution of resources, you can now proceed with confidence coming out of a moral challenge and discuss with your peers. If you do cheat, you have to be humbled, and your chance of drinking sweet wine of the Mediterranean is diminished so that you think what happened.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISfIT3B4y6E

How to use Facebook faster

Scroll down for greek

If you press these button you'd be able to use facebook faster.

• j , k — browse your starting page
• p - post something new
• l — declare whether u like or not the selected post
• c — comment the selected post
• s — publish the selected post
• o — open the attached document of the selected post
• enter - look more of the selected post
• / - search
• q — search in chat
• ? — appearance of dialogue window

• Alt + 0 — Help
• Alt + 1 — Starting page
• Alt + 2 — Profile page
• Alt + 3 — Friends
• Alt + 4 — Incoming messages
• Alt + 5 — Notifications
• Alt + 6 — Configuration
• Alt + 7 — Archive of activity
• Alt + 8 - Info
• Alt + 9 — Terms of use
• Alt + m — New message

Αν πατήσετε αυτά τα πλήκτρα στο πληκτρολόγιο, θα μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιείτε το Facebook πιο γρήγορα.

• j , k — Περιηγείστε στις ανακοινώσεις των Ενημερώσεων
• p - Δημοσιεύετε νέα κατάσταση
• l — Δηλώνετε ότι σας αρέσει ή δεν σας αρέσει η επιλεγμένη ανακοίνωση
• c — Σχολιάζετε την επιλεγμένη ανακοίνωση
• s — Κοινοποιείτε την επιλεγμένη ανακοίνωση
• o — Ανοίγει το συνημμένο της επιλεγμένης ανακοίνωσης
• enter - Δείτε περισσότερα για την επιλεγμένη ανακοίνωση
• / - Αναζήτηση
• q — Αναζήτηση επαφών συνομιλίας
• ? — Εμφάνιση του παραθύρου διαλόγου

• Alt + 0 — Βοήθεια
• Alt + 1 — Αρχική σελίδα
• Alt + 2 — Χρονολόγιο
• Alt + 3 — Φίλοι
• Alt + 4 — Εισερχόμενα
• Alt + 5 — Ειδοποιήσεις
• Alt + 6 — Ρυθμίσεις
• Alt + 7 — Αρχείο δραστηριοτήτων
• Alt + 8 - Πληροφορίες
• Alt + 9 — Όροι χρήσης
• Alt + m — Νέο μήνυμα

Bits of Taoism

Taoism is a historical spiritual movement or a religion that sprouted and grew in the Far East. It focuses on discovering patterns of nature and applying them in the human experience. The ultimate goal is to live in absolute harmony with nature. To achieve that a person has to follow “the way” or Taoism and connect with the Tao, the source and sustainer of the universe

Its “holy  book” that explains fundamental concepts is the Tao-te ching

Here are some small paragraphs from that book:

Passage 7

Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long. The reason

why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is

because they do not live of, or for, themselves. This is how they are

able to continue and endure.

Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in

the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him,

and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no

personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised?

Passage 8

The highest excellence is like (that of) water. The excellence

of water appears in its benefiting all things, and in its occupying,

without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men

dislike. Hence (its way) is near to (that of) the Tao.

The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place;

that of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in

their being with the virtuous; that of government is in its securing

good order; that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability; and

that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness.

And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about

his low position), no one finds fault with him.

Passage 33

He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is

intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes

himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who

goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.

He who does not fail in the requirements of his position, continues

long; he who dies and yet does not perish, has longevity.

Sources:

Tao-te ching: http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/taote.htm

http://www.taopage.org/taoism_beliefs.html

here is some taoist music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vl2et7OYJ4

http://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_followers_does_taoism_have

Europa: the myth of a girl

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess in the phoenician city of Tyre. She was sleeping in her palace when a sudden dream invaded her mind. There were two women representing the two continents, one was Asia and the other was nameless. Asia argued that since she had been born in her continent she belonged to her. The other woman maintained that her birth wasn't as important and that Zeus should give Europa to her. After waking up, wanting to calm from her previous experience, Europa gathered her friends, all daughters of the nobility and of the same age, and went for a walk along the mediterranean fields of the shore.

Kinky and horny, Zeus, (i don't know what that guy did all this eternity) looked around for party? Was ready for new adventures? Anyway, he sees her and some sources say that the demigod Eros shot a love arrow and he was immediately dazzled by Europas beauty. Not wishing to continue his centuries long fight with his wife Hera, he transformed himself to a shining white bull to disguise himself and went off.

While the maidens were having fun, enjoying the day and playing games, they came across a herd of bulls who were eating grass, calm and absentminded. The two groups came together and all-bright Zeus was soon spotted by the young girls, who set off to pet him. Europa was also curious and the two creatures came closer when somehow she got persuaded to climb the bull and Zeus instantly and speedily run to the sea.

The poet Ovid in his work Metamorphosis described the scene more analytically:

And gradually she lost her fear, and he

Offered his breast for her virgin caresses,

His horns for her to wind with chains of flowers

Until the princess dared to mount his back

Her pet bull's back, unwitting whom she rode.

Then—slowly, slowly down the broad, dry beach—

First in the shallow waves the great god set

His spurious hooves, then sauntered further out

'til in the open sea he bore his prize

Fear filled her heart as, gazing back, she saw

The fast receding sands. Her right hand grasped

A horn, the other leant upon his back

Her fluttering tunic floated in the breeze.

At the sea, and while Zeus rode fastly, suddenly the Nereids on the back of dolphins emerged from the sea along with Triton who blew his horn, even Poseidon. Then Europa realized that the white bull was a God and she begged him not to harm her. He reassured her and later they reached the island of Creta. At the beach they had sex which made Europa pregnant to Minos. Her son would rise to become the king of the first european civilization that would take his name, the Minoans.

To be continueed..

Sources:  http://www.greeka.com/crete/heraklion/heraklion-myths/europa.htm

http://www.loggia.com/myth/europa.html

http://www.thenewfederalist.eu/Europa-and-the-bull-The-significance-of-the-myth-in-modern-Europe  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(mythology)

Michio Kaku on the evolution of Intelligence

Some people think that intelligence is the crowning achievement of evolution. Well if that's true there should be more intelligent creatures on the planet Earth. But to the best of our knowledge we're the only ones. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for roughly 200 million years and to the best of our knowledge not a single dinosaur became intelligent. We humans, modern humans, had been on the Earth for roughly a hundred thousand years. Only a tiny fraction of the 4.5 billion years that the Earth has been around. So you come to the rather astounding conclusion that intelligence is not really necessary. That Mother Nature has done perfectly well with non-intelligent creatures for millions of years and that we as intelligent creatures are the new kid on the block.

And so then you begin to wonder how did we become intelligent? What separated us from the animals? Well there are basically three ingredients -- at least three that help to propel us to become intelligent.

One is the opposable thumb. You need a tentacle, a claw, an opposable thumb in order to manipulate the environment. So that's one of the ingredients of intelligence -- to be able to change the world around you.

Second is eyesight. But the eyesight of a predator. We have eyes to the front of our face, not to the side of our face and why? Animals with eyes to the front of their face are predators -- lions, tigers and foxes. Animals with eyes to the side of their face are prey and they are not as intelligent -- like a rabbit. We say dumb bunny and smart as a fox. And there's a reason for that. Because the fox is a predator. It has to learn how to ambush. It has to learn how to have stealth, camouflage. It has to psych out the enemy and anticipate the motion of the enemy that is its prey. If you're a dumb bunny all you have to do is run.

And the third basic ingredient is language because you have to be able to communicate your knowledge to the next generation.And to the best of our knowledge animals do not communicate knowledge to their offspring other than by simply communicating certain primitive motions. There's no book. There's no language. There's no culture by which animals can communicate their knowledge to the next generation.

And so we think that's how the brain evolved. We have an opposable thumb, we have a language of maybe five to ten thousand words. And we have eyesight that is stereo eyesight -- the eyesight of a predator. And predators seem to be smarter than prey. Then you ask another question. How many animals on the Earth satisfy these three basic ingredients. And then you come to the astounding conclusion -- the answer is almost none. So perhaps there's a reason why we became intelligent and the other animals did not. They did not have the basic ingredients that would one day propel us to become intelligent.