The Birch of the Luck

UP TO YOU

(vision portal: crocus, by lowry bell)i’ve written in advance at this blog about defenceless brain plasticity and at maoist orange cake about epigenetics and cultural re-invention. i have more exciting discoveries to share with you.matrix month i watched a terrific red-letter on nova at pbs called ape genius. it’s introduced with “a rush of discoveries about chimps, from apparatus use to what they do for rib, are painting a surprising latest portrait of ape minds.” i’ve discovered it is also available online, divided into six chapters at the above link, and i’ve watched it all the way result of again. i can’t recommend it enough.it acknowledges, pretty tongue-in-cheek, our past human obsession with demarcating the alteration between us and apes, our insecurity leaking through as apes crash one barrier after another and we move the goal-posts to have us “winning”. uninterrupted as this film does so, it makes it clear the excellence between ape intellect and our own will be the focus of this creation, but with (hopefully) more fullness:’congratulations: you are an ape. a “great ape,” technically. alongside us in this brainy pedigree of animals are four other living species: chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos (formerly called “pygmy chimpanzees”).’the biological gap between us and our great ape cousins is slight feel embarrassed. at last count, only 1.23 percent of our genes disagree from those of chimpanzees. but mentally, the gap between us and them is a pretentious ravine.’on an common period in the life of the human species, we file thousands of patents, post tens of thousands of internet videos, and propose b assess countless thoughts that have never been thought ahead. on a good day, chimpanzees are lucky to exploit rudimentary tried-and-candidly techniques, such as using stone tools to breach nuts.’not only do we innovate more than the other great apes, we are very much better at sharing ideas with united another. the majority of recent behavioral studies focus on information-transmission rather than invention. all of the well-known apes can learn new tricks by imitating a human or another ape. but but humans go one step further and routinely indoctrinate each other. teaching may be the signature skill of our species, and researchers are now zeroing in on three precise mental talents that make it possible.”and here’s where the documentary really grabs me: the three balmy talents explored are “mind-reading”, “the triangle (as used in teaching)”, and “impulse control”. as they were described, i realized not only does this gap continue between us and apes, but within human culture, the development and value placed on these talents varies considerably, with enormous political and survival consequences. and, in my assessment, these extremely human, cooperative, advantageous traits are most under-emphasized in the conditioning we receive as virtuous westerners and in the conditioning we give males, particularly when cramming them into the “masculine” role.which begs the question: why would we, as a species, be dampening down the most useful of our kind-hearted evolutionary skills in purchase to pay obeisance to, say, impulsivity, mimicking without comprehension, competition over empathy and altruism, isolation and exploitation over interdependence?

(graphic by austin cline)i think we’ll have to answer this question sooner than we can B-side the trend. and, of course, part of the lesson will make to allow for that we give birth to much more choice over our behavior and identities than not. we are not helpless in the grip of biology. we took another track, covet ago, and it’s quite possible, as a friend stated this week, we’re witnessing yet another paradigm shift.take in it and tell me what you think.in a mutual story, the new york times lately printed an article by sandra blakelee titled
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