Monday, March 19, 2012

DNA, Ducks, and DesCartes

The concept of rationality or it's opposite number "irrationality" is tied to the concious manipulation of defined concepts, symbols,meanings within a logical framework of lingqustics. This view is very popular to the followers of the last survivors in the Comintern, such a Noam Chomsky.

This concept of rationality is by definition, the theory holds,is exclusive to the human race and that the barking, bleating, roaring, et al of animals is definitively inferior. The fits a number of fundamentalist branches of several religions that elevate humanity and rationality to the status of a God. The most erudite become more holy than thou.

This is the role of priests and scribes in ancient times who mastered the higly classified arts of reading, writing, and telling time. Enormous works of architecture have been designed simply to act as a great big sundial.

Animals are a whole lot smarter than we make them out to be. Any serious hunter, fisherman, farmer,or retiree feeding pigeons at the park, know this. As a retired old soldier now fascinated with the various nature channels on TV, have noted the behavior pattens of the eternal competiton to survive another dinner, and another date to keep the gene pool alive.

Is the lead duck in a flying wedge flying hundreds of miles from Canada to Mexico certified by Duck Central? By what means of communication does a pride of lions use to communicate a phased tactical operation kill the next meal (antelope, wildebeest, elephant or hippo?
Phase one - reconnaissance to determine the most vulnerable target.
Phase two- distract the herd and uncover the blocking force near the target,
Phase three - Attack, one lion goes for the hind legs, another goes at the spine, and another chokes the animal by strangulation or suffocation.
Phase four - Regroup, chow down, and move on.

The Buffalo, like many herd animals form a "laager" formation with the larger animals stand shoulder to shoulder to protect the young.  Buffalo also attack undefended lion dens to kill the young, a preemptive strike.

You don't see operations that sophisticated in basic infantry courses, that's more like Ranger training.

The difference in the DNA structure of humans vs the larger animals is a single digit. The forms of communication used by animals by virtue of sight, sound, smell, and body language is likely a minor fraction of the forms of communications available between animals of the same bunch.

People often marvel at how human certain animals are, when the simple demonstrate fact is that we share a lot of DNA common to or evolved from DNA coding to solve the eternal problems of a dinner and a date. Focuing on the "rational" manipulation of signs, symbols, etc is often looking up the wrong end of the strand.

It shold also be noted that during the French Revolution, all churches were either shut down or converted into Temples of Reason, with a model of the Guillotine in place of the Cross.