the totally sentient thread!

[Wil]

And you know what? I'd still rather spend time with a worm than with Ricky Gervais.

[Manco]

I'm evolutioning plants to have intelligence through a Lamarckian breeding programme. I've already produced a fuschia that passes the Turing test.

This explains so much about the new forum members.

[Bullet Magnet]

Do we mean sentience or sapience?

[Nate]

I'm pretty sure we're just talking sentience. Equivalating plants to the dumber sort of animals, that sort of thing.

[MeechMunchie]

What about sapient pearwood?

Oh yeah, that's not real.

[Mac Sirloin]

Do we mean sentience or sapience?

I was going to bring this up, but I'm not really sure of the difference so I decided to just let this mess be.

[keeperxiii]

[Mac Sirloin]

Looks like a Whippet/Greyhound crossed with something fat.

[ziggy]

Do we mean sentience or sapience?

I don't know the difference between these terms either. Can you inform me Wise One?

[keeperxiii]

Looks like a Whippet/Greyhound crossed with something fat.

Of course, but is it sentient?

I don't know the difference between these terms either. Can you inform me Wise One?

I'm not wise, but I can try to inform the masses.

sentience: having a mind like an animal's.

sapience: having a mind like a human's.

I think.

[ziggy]

So sapience is a higher form of sentience? Ok I should have gotten that, probably why we're called homo sapiens I guess.

[MA]

its 'cause we're all gay.

[Mac Sirloin]

Of course, but is it sentient?

Well, it is a dog. So yes. You actually answered your own question.

[ziggy]

I had a dream last night that my sentient dog that's dead came back to life because my cat dug up her skeleton in the backyard.

[keeperxiii]

its 'cause we're all gay.

Oh, ok, I'm glad that's cleared up.

Well, it is a dog. So yes. You actually answered your own question.

Can you feel the wind?

I had a dream last night that my sentient dog that's dead came back to life because my cat dug up her skeleton in the backyard.

Isn't that a Family Guy episode?

[ziggy]

I don't know keeperxiii, because I don't watch Family guy, but that was my dream.

[Elmatto753]

Pretty much everything has been covered in Family Guy at some point.

[Wings of Fire]

Pretty much everything has been covered in Family Guy at some point.

Except quality.

[ziggy]

That's for sure.

[Elmatto753]

Back on topic, are we the only life form to be considered sapient?

[Wings of Fire]

Maybe maybe maybe dolphins. They rape other dolphins and form posses to beat up rapists.

Or something.

[ziggy]

I don't think dolphins are. I think we are the only sapient animals we know of. Dolphins are like the third smartest animal behind chimpanzees, but they're not self-aware like we are.

[keeperxiii]

I don't know keeperxiii, because I don't watch Family guy, but that was my dream.

Pretty much everything has been covered in Family Guy at some point.

This was my point.

[Wings of Fire]

And what a clever point it was.

[Mac Sirloin]

Can you feel the wind?

No, but I can hear a dozen dissatisfied grunts every time you post.

[keeperxiii]

No, but I can hear a dozen dissatisfied grunts every time you post.

You grunt a awful lot.

[Nate]

Back on topic, are we the only life form to be considered sapient?

How do you define and determine sapience?

Also, can you guys please stop deliberately going offtopic? Molluck's Assistant, ziggy, keeperxii, Elmatto753, WoF and Mac Sirloin, I'm looking at you. This is your final warning; next time you will receive infractions.

[keeperxiii]

Sorry Nate, don't worry :9

Well, sapience is having a rational mind, right? Ergo, only humans here on planet earth so far, obviously .

[Nate]

I'm yet to be convinced that any human I've ever met behaves rationally.

[Wil]

Humans do not have rational minds, they have rationalizing minds.

Humans are fantastically good at being sapient. We come up with things like language, cities and iPods to show it off. The trouble with testing whether other species are capable of sapience is that it hinges somewhat on whether those species give a flying fuck about being quite such show offs.

Verified extranthropical sapience would be an amazing thing, and hopefully pave the way for some much-needed deanthropocentrification in our culture(s). Then we can start making some really cool changes.

Yes, it's true, some slippery slope arguments go uphill!