The Animal World Has Its Junkies, Too 250
Phoghat writes "Research scientists have used many animal species in investigating mind-altering drugs, but it may come as a surprise to learn that animals in the wild — from starlings to reindeer — also make use of psychoactive substances of their own accord. It seems that many of these species have a natural desire to experience altered states of consciousness, and man may well have found his way to some of his favourite recreational drugs by observing the behaviour of animals."
Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:5, Interesting)
I remember watching a show on TV where a judge was telling a teenager that he was more stupid than an animal. The judge added: "Even animals aren't stupid enough to do drugs".
I can only imagine the teenager replying to the judge: "But your honor here a picture of a Reindeer seeking the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom".
It gave me an idea and I am now looking for investors to do a remake of that TV show with twists like this one added. Kind of "judge Judy is always wrong". It should be a great success and make a lot of money. ;-)
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:4, Insightful)
I was just imagining some puritanical speech about rejecting your animal nature and elevating people above base instinct
funny how that never works out, how hiding our human nature to enjoy intoxicants, sex, and all the other naughty things that people are prone to do just results in layers of lies and social artifice
the remedies that the puritans insist on are are inconvenient at best, in the case of blue laws, and deadly at at worse in the case of stonings
how long is it going to take the us to get over trying to enforce puritanical beliefs about intoxicants and find a better way to work with basic human/animal nature
Article Has It Wrong. (Score:2)
"man may well have found is way to recreational drugs by observing the behavior of other animals".
No, man found his way to recreational drugs by behaving just like other animals.
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You left out other traits common among animals and people, such as violence and theft.
I'm not claiming that puritanism is the right approach to civilization, nor am I saying that human nature should be ignored, nor am I saying that all humans are prone to violent behavior.
But any civilization, if it wishes to avoid collapse, understands the negativ
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:5, Insightful)
And most of them revolve around "that's something the tribe over the hill does, not something we do." Opium is something the heathen Chinese use, and marihuana is for Mexicans and for (gasp!) jazz musicians; us white folks drink whiskey. Taboos are an irrational social phenomenon, not the result of reasoned consideration of the effects of various behaviors.
I'm surprised that this article is being presented as news. Animal drug-seeking behavior has been know about for a long time. Psychopharmacologist Ronald K. Siegel [wikipedia.org] wrote an excellent book about it over twenty years ago.
And it's also perfectly fine outside of it.
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:5, Insightful)
Are considered bad by some. Please do not use the passive in trying to imply this is an universal or even widely-held attitude.
My conscience condemns neither sex, drugs or any other source of pleasure. It only condemns hurting or harming people. The Bible condemns adultery, but neither sex, alcohol nor pleasure in general.
Interesting contrast. Are you implying that sex is not pleasurable with a lifelong partner, or did you simply not think your post through? And even if you are promiscuous, that doesn't mean that you will not use your brains in sexual matters, and thus succesfully avoid "painful and distracting" situations.
Also, no partner is lifelong, unless you happen to die in the same airplane crash or something.
Like Hell you are. You simply get an excuse for bad behaviour.
You mean my overlords get less profit from me if I enjoy life occasionally? Oh noes!
Define "benefit". No matter how hard you try, it eventually reduces down to getting pleasure and/or avoiding pain.
Also, I can't help but remember a book on "christian sexual ethics" I once read. It had a chapter on masturbation, which first used rather tortured logic to condemn it as sin, then spent the next 20 pages describing how to center your life around not masturbating: do not take hot showers, never be alone in a room, etc.
Even the most obsessive pervert occasionally thinks of something besides the pleasures of the flesh, but a puritan never will. The book made me realize that, no matter how worthless it otherwise was. It's better to simply satisfy your desires and then go do something else than to spend every waking hour fighting against them. And, as it happens, the Bible - specifically, Paul's letters - say the same :).
Yeah, he even forgives people who say "they" when talking of those caught by tempting snares. Here, have a link [bible.cc]; may you reflect on it and this [tvtropes.org] and gain insight.
Ephesians 5:18 (Score:2)
The Bible condemns adultery, but neither sex, alcohol nor pleasure in general.
"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." -- Paul, Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)
Also, no partner is lifelong, unless you happen to die in the same airplane crash or something.
"Lifelong" is more commonly taken in the sense of "until death parts us".
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It's unfortunate, given what a massive tool Paul is. But in general I think it's a safe assumption that his writings are probably paint a more accurate picture of the teachings of Jesus than the gospels. He at least was a contemporary, while the gospel writers were just some random guys who tossed on famous names as self promotion.
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:4, Informative)
It wasn't that somebody just decided "You know, we should just not have fun!", but there are reasons why these things are considered bad.
Perhaps - but let's look at the reasons for some of them.
Cocaine: "In 1914, Dr. Christopher Koch of Pennsylvania's State Pharmacy Board made the racial innuendo explicit, testifying that, “Most of the attacks upon the white women of the South are the direct result of a cocaine-crazed Negro brain." Mass media manufactured an epidemic of cocaine use among African Americans in the Southern United States to play upon racial prejudices of the era, though there is little evidence that such an epidemic actually took place."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine#Prohibition)
or in short, "OMG we need to stop the niggers!"
Marijuana: A twofer on this one - both a way to criminalize a common recreational drug of the Mexican migrant population *and* a way to shut down a competitive process to William Randloph Hearst's pulp-paper business. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_the_United_States)
Opium: "There were no legal restrictions on the importation or use of opium in the United States until the San Francisco, California, Opium Den Ordinance, which banned dens for public smoking of opium in 1875, a measure fueled by anti-Chinese sentiment and the perception that whites were starting to frequent the dens. " (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium)
In short: "OMG Chinese people are having fun, and might touch our white wimmins!"
I don't think I even need to cite a source for the blatant hippie-punching involved in instantly transforming LSD from a psychological research chemical to a "dangerous drug" overnight (thanks Nixon).
In short, essentially every modern "illegal drug" WAS LEGAL, until somebody (usually an uptight Christian, frequently with a double helping of racism) decided to make them illegal.
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Shame on you mods, this isn't a real bible-thumper troll. There's some good points buried in here. ...
The first hint is your conscience...
I'll kindly ask you keep your system of morality in mind, as that is entirely what governs your conscience. This gets into really nasty arguments about good/evil black/white etc and we best not delve into that as nobody will leave happy.
Sex, for instance, is perfectly fine within the lifelong bond of marriage. However, when we use it as a source of pleasure, we find ourselves in all sorts of painful and distracting situations.
This tends to be true only for those who have an addictive personality, or are compensating for some other deficit. Seldom will you see a healthy (mental) person engaging in
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:4, Interesting)
That bird won't fly.
The first hint is your conscience
My conscience doesn't bother me when I'm drinking or smoking pot. Why should it? My conscience only bothers me if I think I may have hurt someone.
I'm thinking of the social pressures the corporate media put on one; diet food companies trying to make you geel guilty about eating non-diet food, or the AT&T radio commercial where they talk about the "guilty pleasure" of downloding silly videos from YouTube -- "you know, the one with the squirrel playing tamborine".
the reason behind it is that they are simply, as the Bible explains, inconvenient.
The Bible doesn't mention intoxicants at all, except alcohol (which it says kings shouldn't drink). It says to give wine to the grieving and strong drink to the dying. Jesus himself turned water into wine for a wedding celebration, and wine is part of communion, for Christ's sake!
Other than the fact that you are out of control (depending on the intoxicant), also have the tendency to get wrapped up in it and become less productive.
I don't think you're reading the same Bible I'm reading; is your Bible by chance the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition? Where does the bible say anything about being out of control? Or that you are supposed to be "productive"? "Look at the lillies of the field, they neither spin now sew, but look how God has clothed then in their glory".
The real problem is trying to define your life by pleasure, which is fleeting.
Pleasure isn't evil. The only evil would be if you worshiped something besides God, like money. Money is the very worst of intoxicants. But there is nothing whatever wrong with pleasure.
In fact, the theme at my church this month has been "A Whitespace Christmas" -- giving yourself a break from the hustle and bustle and work and shopping and such. "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy" means RELAX on Sunday. Lay around the shanty and put a good buzz on.
Sadly, I have known many people who have had their life ruined by drug addiction.
So have I, but I've also known many people who at first glance seem to have had their lives ruined by drugs, but after talking to them realized that their lifes were already ruined before they ever took that first sip of whiskey or snort of cocaine. In many if not most cases, drug addiction is a symptom of an underlying mental illness, and is but a symptom rather than the disease.
One more thing -- The necktie is a symbol of wealth and power. Bankers, lawyers, politicians, stockbrokers, CEOs al wear this symbol. If your preacher wears a tie, he may be the wolf in sheep's clothing Christ warned you about; of all the things Christ had bad things to say about, wealth and personal power were at the top of the list.
And to whatever athiest modded that comment "troll", stop it unless you want Christian and Muslim slashdotters to start moderating and metamoderating all those comments that ridicule religion as "troll". Kainosnous' comments would only be trolling on an athiest messageboard, which slashdot isn't. Keep your irrational hate to yourselves, it isn't welcome here.
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:4, Funny)
Isn't it getting a bit sore down there by now?
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Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:5, Informative)
I can only imagine the teenager replying to the judge: "But your honor here a picture of a Reindeer seeking the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom".
Funny you should choose the fly agaric mushroom for your example. Fly agaric is only a controlled substance (illegal to possess) in one U.S. state: Louisiana (source [erowid.org]). Elsewhere, you can munch on them as much as you want (note: most people find the effects very unpleasant).
It is perhaps worth noting that although possessing/eating fly agarics is not illegal, it is a violation of FDA regulations to sell them for food or drug purposes.
Re:Tell that to to judge ;-) (Score:5, Informative)
Note that things can have different effects on animals. For example, try feeding heavily spiced meat to a dog (well, rather don't). Perfectly fine for a human, but something between a heavily messed up flat and death for the canine friend.
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Note: the unpleasantness comes from doing it wrong. See the references to reindeer urine in TFA
I checked out TFA and Wikipedia, and as I understand it, the amanita consumer must choose between eating somewhat poisonous mushrooms caps OR drinking reindeer urine. Or am I missing something? Because both of those options sound kind of gross.
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So... "reindeer takes drugs, see Santa Claus?!"
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Nah, I am an Asgard. Even if I was the most stupid of the Asgards, I would still be smarter than you are.
The truth is that, while in school, we have to watch human TV shows to learn about that aspect of human beings.
Thankfully, this and other studies on mankind have allowed me to spot that you have made a mistake in your post and, given my infinite desire to help, I will tell you what it is: "stupider" isn't a word.
Now, I wander what this makes you but you are already forgiven due to our infinite comprehens
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Oh, for fuck sake, even watching a single episode of that show with Asgard in it, it's painfully clear that Asgard are supposed to have no understanding of human culture. Not that anything about them makes any sense in the first place, as the only purpose they have is a metaphor for "ivory tower intellectuals", yet another anti-intellectualist nonsense in American culture.
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"ivory tower intellectuals", yet another anti-intellectualist nonsense in American culture.
If I had a nickel for every time I got well-intentioned but utterly unworkable advice from someone with an ivory tower wedged well up their arse, I'd have a shitload of nickels. Ivory tower intellectuals are real. Most of them live in this category. Most of the people with the luxury to cat about the university for their entire life have never known real adversity. There are notable examples; they are irrelevant to the existence of the ivory tower intellectual.
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Now if we could get people to realize that the same applies to politicians from wealthy families only moreso, we'd be getting somewhere.
Catnip (Score:5, Interesting)
Origin stories (Score:3)
And now we know the origin of the blasted lolcats and why they prefer can haz cheezburgers to your friend's catnip-laced stash.
The bastard!
Hypothetical Article (Score:2, Informative)
I also note the publisher of this non-assuming website "pjonline.com"...Pharmaceutical Press 2010.
article is total crap and isnt worth being posted on slashdot.
Re:Hypothetical Article (Score:4, Informative)
I quickly checked on that, in the legal section, it says:
"PJ Publications is part of Pharmaceutical Press, the publishing division of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain."
It seems credible. At first glance anyways... ;-)
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It is sad to see it posted. I see nothing but hear-say and conjecture.
Accompanied by the smell of shit? Hint: it's because you've got your head up your arse.
Nothing in it is actual scientific evidence of these happenings except vague references. I question what this articles intention is except to perhaps attempt to make a case for drugs, which almost seems like a drug addicts logical reasoning after being blitzed on weed and watching a "National Geographic" documentary on something.
What is truly sad is a/clowns like yourself - who abuse the ability to read by not researching, and disregard anything that stands in the way of their deep emotional investment in stupid beliefs
Kind of like those that persist with the belief that nature is pure and humans are sinners - we are all animals, just some more "civilized" than others. Next week - perverts insist not all animals are monogamous and heterosexual, a
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I mean, I can theorize that clowns do more harm than good because children develop a phobia of people who mask themselves in makeup causing them to not like women and thus cause domestic violence.
Plausable, but where is the proof?
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which almost seems like a drug addicts logical reasoning after being blitzed on weed and watching a "National Geographic" documentary on something.
Sounds like here-say and conjecture.
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I have watched birds getting drunk on berries myself. I have also heard reports from others I trust of birds leaving berries on the ground until they ferment, then eating them and flying around drunk. I have seen footage of elephants choosing to eat fermented melons rather than fresher ones, then stumbling around drunk.
Years of research by others verifies this quick observation and shows that it extends to other drugs as well.
If you're not aware of any of it it's only because you aren't looking at all. Your
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Anyone who has at least a few months of hallucinogenic experiences, would instantly know that its not at all impossible for animals to want to experiment with psychoactives.
It may not be a proven scientific fact, but it does become common sense, as your eyes are opened to the world in ways you never thought existed, like the relationship between your brain and the chemicals that affects your perception of reality and time.
I guess it is harder to imagine the want of such unique perspectives, without having s
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In five years, when you're bored of LSD and the long term effects have gone, you'll read this back and *facepalm*.
Believe one who knows.
Re:Hypothetical Article (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm 43 years old, I haven't used hallucinogens since I was 28 and I still have to say that it was a very interesting experience that I do not wish to have undone. It's not a "miracle pill" but LSD definitely can be helpful in helping you understand yourself in a way that most people who do not use hallucinogens never come close to understanding.
While the experience can be as plain as just a "laser show" (lots of visual stimulation, giggling and general silliness) it can also be extremely fascinating. I still remember the feeling of being able to how I was thinking. It's a bit like using a kernel level debugger on your thought processes, you see things about the way you think that you never would have picked up as clearly otherwise. Of course, there's always the risk of getting stuck in an infinite loop which forces you to figure out how to manipulate your own mind in order to snap out of it.
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I think it's interesting to see how minds react to chemical adulterants.
I think most of the insights gained are the sort of thing that seems significant at the time and turns out meaningless later, like dreams. And I also think that in general the idea of opening your mind with hallucinogens is subjective. Of course you could say it's subjective in its very nature, but I mean subjective in that it feels or seems like something has happened when really it hasn't.
No regrets, but I don't buy the hype,
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Re:Hypothetical Article (Score:5, Insightful)
Did you ever consider that people may not be comfortable attaching their names or even their more commonly used nicknames to posts stating that they have used drugs and that they considered said drug usage to be mostly positive? There are plenty of people who have to pretend to be anti-drugs publically because their employer, friends and many others would never approve of anything short of "Drugs are bad, mmkay?".
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Get fucked, you cryptofascist!
Or to put it another way, I guess you are one of those who will not listen to criticism of the police or military unless it comes from current or past service members too?
Most of the shit that goes round about drugs comes from those who have never done them. Or they have, but they pretend their choice of drugs aren't drugs, they are "drinks" or "medicines", etc.. You don't appear to be dismissing what they have to say, so your agenda is actually quite clear.
Yours,
A different AC
Re:Hypothetical Article (Score:5, Insightful)
Then, I guess he is not so proud of using drugs, now is he?
I don't think he/she stated that he/she was "proud" of his/her drug use, but even if the parent poster is proud or in no way feels guilty about his/her prior drug use that doesn't mean that it is without consequence to publicly state this fact.
There are plenty of people out there who would be happy to force someone who has not used drugs for years into rehab, or have them fired because "we don't hire druggies". That's not to mention just generally being viewed with suspicion by your peers. And if you have kids and social services find out about any prior drug use (not counting severe alcoholism though) they're very likely to put your kids in foster care (at least around here). Oh, and if you are divorced with shared custody you can bet your former spouse will use any and all drug use in the past as an excuse to get full custody of the kids.
"Free speech" doesn't mean "Free speech as long as you reveal your identity up front".
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It's been over 3 years now, without any craving or long term effects [wikipedia.org], after 3 years frequent use.
In retrospect, the visuals of me programming my brain, and the world around me, can't be matched by any multimedia experience, ever! :-)
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But to assume I havent taken any drugs is pretty dumb.
However, realizing the harm drugs do to ones self to simply "enlighten myself to a higher state of being" is much more enlightening.
THe reality is that people take drugs to escape. Escape life, escape pain, escape not understanding. Once you know thyself, know thy neighbor, and know thy pain you have reached the real enlightenment that is life.
N
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Yes there is definitely some escapism involved, the same goes for eating (as some do when depressed) and drinking liquor.
Most things that stimulate our senses could be fixated on as means to escape our reality temporarily.
Mind drugs on the other hand, accentuate our thoughts and forces us to deal with what's inside our skulls, albeit in a very different perspective, and usually with a very giddy gait!
Here's the COAL link to this... (Score:4, Informative)
In case the server gets Slashdotted, here's the Coral link:
http://www.pjonline.com.nyud.net/christmas/pj2010_723 [nyud.net]
Interesting article.
Voice of Title (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Voice of Title (Score:4, Insightful)
I am hoping the headline was a joke, done to suggest thoughts of *intentional* drug users rather than the mythological addict, essentially hyperbolic negation of the intended result. Of course I could be wrong, we do live in a world where people presume that just because someone else likes to do something they don't quite understand it must be evil wrong immoral deadly and antisocial.
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If these animals were obsessively eating poppy plants, then perhaps it would be more appropriate to use the term "junkie" (although I agree, no less offensive. There's nothing funny or amusing about it).
A FoaF broke into a woodrat's den and found poppy seeds and psilocybin mushrooms... stored away for the winter. Apparently they want their head trips in all seasons.
Raised question (Score:4, Funny)
So do skunks call unpungent marijuana "human"?
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I'd assume they'd be like anyone else and call it Oregano.
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Terence McKenna spoke a lot about this (Score:3, Informative)
Well known that animals use them (Score:2)
Here's a video of all kinds of animals under the influence of a psychoactive drug!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohgqRRLjBsg [youtube.com]
I'll leave whether it was voluntary as an exercise to the viewer.
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Humans don't need substances to alter their state (Score:5, Informative)
... While the substances are an easy way to experience something a little different, it's also possible to achieve "altered states of consciousness" entirely without the chemicals.
I don't have a copy of Stoned Free [google.com], but I like the premise:
I had to figure out how to relax my body (it was dysfunctional following a head injury), but even so I've had some neat experiences along the way: hypnagogic imagery, 360-degree vision, etc. If you've previously used substances (marijuana, LSD, etc) one can re-vivify those experiences with self-suggestion (self-hypnosis), or use descriptions of others to design your own trip.
Tripping without substances generally begins with relaxing the physical body, relaxing the mind, then making suggestions to yourself.
Binaural beats can help - Gnaural [sourceforge.net] is the open source tone generator. I had to do some other things to fully recover from said concussion, and I'm finally dreaming up a storm. :)
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I bought my lady one of those LED flashy things you wear like glasses and she really likes it. I've tried it a few times and it does make interesting patterns. No idea if the lights are forcing me to relax or if I'm just relaxing because I'm watching patterns but I think it's nifty as well. It's on my list of things to do with an Arduino because I want one that's PC-connected and that seems the easiest way to achieve that.
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I bought my lady one of those LED flashy things you wear like glasses and she really likes it. I've tried it a few times and it does make interesting patterns. No idea if the lights are forcing me to relax or if I'm just relaxing because I'm watching patterns but I think it's nifty as well.
I bought one of those, but Wesley Crusher programmed Data to break it.
Coffee Found This Way (Score:5, Informative)
I certainly think this and other stories of discovering analgesics, psychoactives, etc. by observing animals are quite plausible.
O RLY? (Score:2, Insightful)
It seems that many of these species have a natural desire to experience altered states of consciousness
States of WHAT? Animals have consciousness now?
Oh, not that one again... (Score:5, Insightful)
> States of WHAT? Animals have consciousness now?
No, it popped up MAGICALLY in us apes at some point; someone throw on a switch and BAM, consciousness overnight. MAGIC, I tell you.
Or, you know, maybe consciousness is not a binary variable, but, like most everything about the real world, a continuum, and like most things about the real world, various species have achieved various levels of it? You know? Just sayin'.
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No, it popped up MAGICALLY in us apes at some point; someone throw on a switch and BAM, consciousness overnight. MAGIC, I tell you.
There is freaking huge gap between human mind and anything modern apes have. Sure, there was a long process between those levels, but all intermediate steps are long extinct, and have no chance to show up to make question about their level of consciousness relevant.
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I suspect that due to our long relationship with dogs (teaming up with them may well have made up more effective hunters) means that dog brains are more similar to ours than apes.
Most of our brains are for language and hands.
If you're saying that dog brains are closer to ours than dog brains are to apes brains, you might be correct. If you're saying that dog brains are closer to ours than ape brains are to our brains, then you're incorrect.
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Oh dear. You do realise that you're an animal, right? And your signature suggests that you don't believe in God. I'm trying to reconcile these two beliefs that you hold, and yet can't.
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It never ceases to amaze me how humans arrogantly believe that only they themselves are conscious, capable of experiencing joy and pain, etc.
It's not just humans vs. animals (as if humans weren't animals, and as if all non-human animals were the same), but also humans vs. other humans (it's ok to be cruel to $allegedly_inferior_group, or even "It's ok for me to trample everyone, but don't anyone dare to slight me!").
Without getting into what exactly the definition of consciousness is, I think it is irration
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Instincts and emotions are not consciousness, consciousness is by definition a kind of mental activity specific to humans.
Re:O RLY? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Consciousness is by-product of cellular organization, chatter between cells, and that any multicellular organism has some level of consciousness.
At very least it requires brain, and sufficiently sophisticated brain ti perform abstract thought.
But since we can only experience ourself, it can never be proved.
There is nothing really to prove -- animals do not perform anything that requires abstract thought. All this stupid stuff about "self" is utterly irrelevant -- an object in any object-oriented language is more "self-aware" than any human can hope to be (as it knows absolutely everything about itself), and yet is not in any way "conscious".
And until you can prove our own, you cannot disprove their. Stop downplaying non-humans creatures.
Only when they will come to argue about that by themselves. Until then, i
Re:O RLY? (Score:4, Interesting)
animals do not perform anything that requires abstract thought
Clearly, you have never observed an octopus. They appear to study a problem before tackling it, and can solve unnatural challenges such as figuring out how to open a screw-top jar which contains a morsel of food. They don't just attack the jar with random moves, but study it while turning it around. Accomplishments such as these are suggestive of abstract thought, not mere instinctive behavior.
Despite living only about two years, and receiving no training from its parents (who die around the time their offspring hatch out), an octopus is a surprisingly intelligent mollusc.
BTW, you might try to define what you mean by "abstract thought" some time. You'll find it hard to include your own mental processes while excluding the perceived mental processes of tool-making animals (e.g. crows) or even of mammals which are considered less intelligent than the octopus (e.g. a horse).
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Catnip is interesting - some cats love it, but not all. The weird thing is it seems to make cats forget where they found it - I used to grow some in a garden of a house I shared with a cat lover. Everytime I went into the garden they'd follow through the gate and hunt for the catnip. They'd look everywhere until they found it - which was a little weird given it only grew in one pot, and that pot was never moved. Even I could use my nose to find it - but they had to investigate every carrot, lettuce, and tomato plant to work out which was the catnip. They didn't always take the same route whilst looking for it either. Strange - maybe that's part of the effect of catnip.
Knowing cats, they were probably hunting for mice/insects, or eating greens. Then they went for dessert.
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Humans ARE mentally superior to all other animals. Even those humans who deny it, as the gap is pretty freaking wide.
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Humans ARE mentally superior to all other animals. Even those humans who deny it, as the gap is pretty freaking wide.
Some, maybe, to really dumb animals. Maybe. I'm especially doubtful when measuring the output of those (humans) that like to associate themselves with the word "superior"
this is no news ... (Score:3)
there are countless instances of monkeys trying to get to alcohol.
(and don't tell me alcohol is no drug : it's one of the worst)
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What's interesting about drunk monkeys is that it has been shown that monkeys are about as boozy as we are. That is, if you provide them access to alcohol (as in numerous tourist locations where they haven't been exterminated) about the same percentage of them will be teetotalers and the same percentage drunks as humans.
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Drunk elephants are the best. I forgot where I saw that, must have been National Geographic.
Drunk horses (Score:2)
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It would be really hilarious if bottles of whisky were labeled, "NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION."
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alcohol is not a drug.
WRONG. ...
it's just legal, that's the only difference from cocaine, crack, heroine
http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/2010/11/29/alcohol-is-the-most-damaging-drug/ [beckleyfoundation.org]
It also came fourth in terms of damage to users
behind only heroin, crack cocaine and crystal meth.
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In fact alcohol is not a drug.
Honestly, just out of sheer curiosity... are you trolling, or do you really believe this? If you believe it, uhh... why?
Drugs and their first use. (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess the point is of the article is that the use of "drugs" is something part of nature, it's just how we do it that matters.
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Yes, hemlock is all natural, nightshade is all natural, petroleum is all natural, tobacco is all natural, nuclear fusion is all natural. How some thing or some process is used is what matters.
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Human use of petroleum is not all natural, it is heavily processed, unless you can tell me where to pump 87 octane gasoline with the various additives straight out of the ground.
So you're saying animals aren't natural either? They heavily process anything that they eat.
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In the Untied States, but not in the rest of the world. Most of the world cuts the tobacco, dries it, and then smokes it. Only here do we sugar it, wash it with menthol, and soak it in formaldehyde.
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Sounds about right. (Score:2)
I've read that every human culture with the exception of one has it's own intoxicants. All but the Inuit (what are you gonna do, ferment whale blubber?) have found some form of mind alternation. Extending this to the rest of the animal kingdom, it's not surprising to me that other species are just as keen to how much fun booze or drugs can be.
Re:Sounds about right. (Score:4, Interesting)
I've read that every human culture with the exception of one has it's own intoxicants. All but the Inuit (what are you gonna do, ferment whale blubber?) have found some form of mind alternation. Extending this to the rest of the animal kingdom, it's not surprising to me that other species are just as keen to how much fun booze or drugs can be.
You're not going to believe this, but... fermented walrus meat. I'm not kidding.
I lived on Baffin Island for three years, and during that time, I was regaled at length on a number of occasions with first-hand accounts of how the Inuit would cache stores of walrus meat under stones in October (to keep the ravens from getting it) for about six weeks. Once it had a pretty solid veneer of mold, they would take it out, scrape it off and ingest it with gusto.
According to those who tried it, it induced a mild, contented buzz.
No, I did not try it. I didn't even want to see it.
Psychoactive users are not junkies (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a common perception ... and totally wrong ... that psychoactive users are junkies. Far from it. I have participated in multiple voluntary studies with the Australian National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, where they study recreational drugs ( E, LSD, etc ) ... and have asked them each time what they thought of my habits, and that of my peers. Each time they said the same thing ... that it was a pleasure to work with people who actually had their life together ... that the real 'junkies' use heroin, alcohol, cocain, etc ... and the recreational drug users, in contrast, are well in control of their activities, and leading productive lives. In fact I would go a step further and say that psychoactive drug users have their life together far more than the average person.
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Re:Psychoactive users are not junkies (Score:5, Informative)
You can't become addicted to most psychoactive drugs. If you take acid two days in a row, on the second day it will hardly affect you. You develop a short-term tolerance (that goes away in a couple of days). Not to mention it's not desirable to take it multiple days in a row. It's mentally stressful and the brain needs to recuperate.
The only addictive psychoactive drug is PCP and no one does that anymore b/c no one becomes a steady user and lives long.
What do you consider well-adjusted? Talking out your ass?
Well derr! (Score:3, Informative)
Slow news week - and, where's the usual filler about how Santa visits all the chimneys?
Not a major surprise, really. (Score:2)
Probably twenty or thirty years ago I saw a documentary about all kinds of animals who came to eat the half-fermented fruit lying under some kind of tree, and consequently getting very much drunk off their collective arses.
Nothing funnier than a drunk rhino falling over, I can tell you. If anyone knows what documentary that was - I was just a geekling at the time - I'd love to find it again.
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Headline is wrong (Score:2)
Stop the war on drugs (Score:5, Interesting)
"It pains me to know that there is a solution for preventing tragedy and nothing is being done because of ignorance, stubbornness, unsubstantiated fear and greed."
Re:Stop the war on drugs (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem with the law is that we spend the money exact the opposite way than we should and, if you watched the video, it's just a big money sink which no positive results at all. Money we could spend on fight crimes like murder, rape, etc.
Right now the gangs and mafia makes the money and we spend a lot of money to combat those and we spend a lot of money to treat the drug addicts (either with a treatment programs or with prison).
With legalized drugs we would make the money (i.e. the state) that the gangs and mafia is making, we wouldn't need to spend billions in fighting those and so we would have plenty of money left to treat the drug addicts.
It works with tobacco, alcohol, gambling and porn, why are we outlawing drugs?
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Your friend is going to prison because she broke a law that only exists to enable the prohibition of drugs. She probably did it to pay for her habit, and the only reason the drugs cost more than a can of coke is because the prices are controlled by black market forces.
I'm guessing she is also feeling pretty isolated after everyone in her life that thinks like you h
Junkies ? (Score:2)
The animal world may have its junkies, but they sure aren't doing magic mushrooms.
Perhaps I'm just a nerd... (Score:2)
Did anyone else immediately think of the smack-addicted Dolphin from the Gibson story Johnny Mnemonic?
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I'm missing the 'like' button from facebook all of a sudden ;) Totally agree ...
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