by Carlhole » Tue 11 Aug 2009, 16:25:14
IEET$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t’s long been assumed in transhumanist circles that eventually a computer program, a robot, a cyborg, or a genetically engineered human will achieve a far greater level of intelligence than the smartest human.
Why not Fido?
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'U')sing adapted tests designed for human children, psychologists have learned that average dogs can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a human 2-year-old.
“They may not be Einsteins, but are sure closer to humans than we thought,” said Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and leading researcher on dog behavior.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')ogs not only are smart in ways of reasoning and problem-solving, but they also have emotional intelligence, remarkably similar to that of humans. Dogs may even understand fairness.
In one experiment, a researcher trained two dogs to shake a paw. After both learned the trick, the researcher started giving a treat to one of the dogs every time he got it right but not to the other.
Not only did the unpaid dog stop performing, he wouldn’t even look the researcher in the eye. “He doesn’t want any part of you. He doesn’t think this is fair.”
