I was just followed on Twitter by a “Frustrated Republican that is now a Independant after 56 year with the Republican party.” I am le confused.
Jane Goodall about Humans
“It’s unfortunate that the most intellectual species ever to walk the planet, is destroying the planet and very fast. And I think we have lost wisdom, which made people would make decisions based on how they affect their people generations ahead. And now it’s me now, the next shareholder meeting, my next political campaign. It’s seems their is a disconnect between the clever brain and the human heart.”
(via janegoodallsrootsandshoots)
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(via Picture: Shaq poses with tiny lemur)
Check out the article and video. Other than the most annoying photographer ever, this is great. I’ll give Shaq points for this.
I love the heck out of this, but need a source!
Weekly Review—By Sara Breselor (Harper's Magazine) -
Iraqis! They’re just like us:
Iraqi festival-goers complained after officials revived an annual cultural festival in Babylon but replaced the lavish music and dance performances of the Saddam Hussein era with poetry readings and educational activities. “Ordinary people like me tried to seek joy and happiness in the festival activities, but we found only artists and intellectuals,” said one attendee. “It’s a total failure.”
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Whale vs. Whale: Humpback whales intervene in orca attack
Whoa. This might go down as the most remarkable whale story I’ve ever heard. Monterey Bay, CA is a world-famous whale-watching spot, and on May 3, 2012, watchers were treated to an event that might change the way we think of whale cognition.
The hunt: A group of transient orcas was witnessed trying to separate a gray whale calf from its mom, a common hunting behavior. All of a sudden, two migrating humpback whales appeared. As the gray whale mother attempted to save her calf, the humpbacks splashed and trumpeted to scare away the orcas, often within a body length of the other whales.
Unfortunately, the baby whale was killed, but a total of five humpbacks harassed the orcas for hours (as seen in the photo from the scene, above), perhaps trying to keep them away from feeding on the carcass.
It’s a remarkable sequence of events. Dr. Lori Marino of Emory University, an expert in whale cognition, had this to say:
… humpback whales, and many other cetaceans, have specialized cells in their brains called Von Economo neurons (“spindle cells”) and these are shared with humans, great apes, and elephants. The exact function of these elongated neurons is still unknown but they are found in exactly the same locations in all mammal brains for the species that have them.
What is intriguing is that these parts of the mammal brain are thought to be responsible for social organization, empathy, speech, intuition about the feelings of others, and rapid “gut” reactions.
It’s difficult, if not impossible to equate this kind of behavior as “feelings”, in the human sense, but there’s certainly empathy here, and between two species to boot!
Whatever the answer, it’s touching proof of the intelligence of whales, and perhaps we can take this as a reminder that defending other species from destruction (or extinction) is a natural, core value of intelligent creatures like ourselves.
Previous whale amazement: A humpback whale is freed from a net by fishermen, and its gratitude is tear-worthy.Also, humpback whales trade songs across oceans, does this mean they have “culture”?
This just gave me goosebumps. Amazing. Whales are awesome.
A Liberal Decalogue: Bertrand Russell's 10 Commandments of Teaching | Brain Pickings -
1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.
Things to keep in mind for anyone. (Also, for #4, keep in mind this was written in the 1950s).
“It seems to me that no one feels more persecuted than does a bigot shamed into silence by his own bigotry.” —
Flickr: Discussing Utata’s Gay Agenda in Utata
Well said!!
