Can animals be guided by reason? Detailed answer

BIG ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Free library / Directory / Big encyclopedia for children and adults

Can animals be guided by reason? Detailed answer

Big encyclopedia for children and adults

Directory / Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education

Did you know?

Can animals be guided by reason?

All animals have to learn to do some things during their lives, even those who almost always act instinctively. But the learning process is not always the same.

Often, when we think that an animal is "learning" something, it is actually only developing its innate instincts. For example, young chicks that have just left the nest fly rather clumsily, and their acquisition of flying skills is nothing but the gradual development of an innate instinct.

The most common way animals learn, in the truest sense of the word, is to make mistakes and remember them to avoid the same in the future. This is how dogs learn the rules of behavior and perform various tricks, this is how horses go around and train.

Animals rarely learn from the experience of others. If one dog knows a trick, then the other dog will not be able to repeat it by watching the first one. What is it for an animal to be guided by reason? It means finding a solution to a problem that it has never encountered before and when innate instincts are useless.

Experiments, however, have shown that great apes are capable of thinking to a certain extent. In one experiment, a monkey was placed in a room in which a banana was suspended at a height inaccessible to it. In addition, there were two small boxes in the room. Suddenly she got up, put the box one on top of the other, climbed on them and plucked a banana! In fact, the monkey figured out how to do it, that is, he used his mind.

Scientists are inclined to believe that dogs, cats, and even some wild animals can probably draw logical conclusions to a certain extent, but this is very difficult to prove.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

What is an operetta?

Operetta is a form of light musical theater. This is a sentimental drama set to music. The setting in an operetta is usually a plausible world or an exotic location that is created by colorful sets and costumes. Many of the main characters are princes and princesses, men wearing officer uniforms and ladies in elegant dresses. As for the content of the operetta, it is almost always some kind of sentimental love story. Good people triumph, evil people are punished, lovers eventually unite.

The operetta originated in German-speaking countries towards the end of the XNUMXth century. Franz von Suppe is the man who truly created this form of musical theatre. He emphasized romance and feeling rather than comedy. He was one of the first composers to give the waltz an important role in the musical score, and thereafter most operettas included large waltz scenes. Johann Strauss wrote some of the most famous operettas and created the main features of the genre. His operetta Die Fledermaus is probably one of the most popular operettas ever written. It is still being revived on many stages around the world.

The second most famous operetta ever written is probably The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár. At the end of the XNUMXth century, operettas became popular in the United States, and soon there were many American composers who wrote very famous operettas. Among them were Victor Herbert, who wrote Children in Toyland and Capricious Marietta, and Rudolf Friml, who wrote Rosemary and The Tramp King. Perhaps the last American composer to write great operettas was Sigmunt Romberg, who wrote such famous operettas as Desert Song and New Moon. Operetta was a form of entertainment that gave millions of people great pleasure.

Test your knowledge! Did you know...

▪ Is there life in the Dead Sea?

▪ What do turtles eat?

▪ What article of the Nazi criminal code continued to operate after the Second World War?

See other articles Section Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Machine for thinning flowers in gardens 02.05.2024

In modern agriculture, technological progress is developing aimed at increasing the efficiency of plant care processes. The innovative Florix flower thinning machine was presented in Italy, designed to optimize the harvesting stage. This tool is equipped with mobile arms, allowing it to be easily adapted to the needs of the garden. The operator can adjust the speed of the thin wires by controlling them from the tractor cab using a joystick. This approach significantly increases the efficiency of the flower thinning process, providing the possibility of individual adjustment to the specific conditions of the garden, as well as the variety and type of fruit grown in it. After testing the Florix machine for two years on various types of fruit, the results were very encouraging. Farmers such as Filiberto Montanari, who has used a Florix machine for several years, have reported a significant reduction in the time and labor required to thin flowers. ... >>

Advanced Infrared Microscope 02.05.2024

Microscopes play an important role in scientific research, allowing scientists to delve into structures and processes invisible to the eye. However, various microscopy methods have their limitations, and among them was the limitation of resolution when using the infrared range. But the latest achievements of Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo open up new prospects for studying the microworld. Scientists from the University of Tokyo have unveiled a new microscope that will revolutionize the capabilities of infrared microscopy. This advanced instrument allows you to see the internal structures of living bacteria with amazing clarity on the nanometer scale. Typically, mid-infrared microscopes are limited by low resolution, but the latest development from Japanese researchers overcomes these limitations. According to scientists, the developed microscope allows creating images with a resolution of up to 120 nanometers, which is 30 times higher than the resolution of traditional microscopes. ... >>

Air trap for insects 01.05.2024

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy, and pest control is an integral part of this process. A team of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem - a wind-powered insect air trap. This device addresses the shortcomings of traditional pest control methods by providing real-time insect population data. The trap is powered entirely by wind energy, making it an environmentally friendly solution that requires no power. Its unique design allows monitoring of both harmful and beneficial insects, providing a complete overview of the population in any agricultural area. “By assessing target pests at the right time, we can take necessary measures to control both pests and diseases,” says Kapil ... >>

Random news from the Archive

radio controlled enzymes 02.12.2018

Enzyme proteins perform all the biochemical work in our cells, but the enzymes themselves can work only under strictly defined conditions. Therefore, it is very difficult to accelerate, "improve" the enzymatic reaction. For example, we assume that if the temperature is increased, the reaction will go faster, but the enzyme does not allow this. Like any protein, an enzyme has a certain spatial structure on which its function depends. The three-dimensional structure is held together by physicochemical bonds within the protein molecule, which can be broken if the temperature rises above the optimum.

Scientists from ITMO University have found a way to increase the efficiency of enzymes without destroying them. Nanoparticles with enzymes inside were studied: proteins are enclosed in a rigid porous framework of magnetite nanoparticles. Particles can be heated by radio emission - when heated, they transfer part of the energy to the enzyme, which starts to work faster from this, while the rigid framework limits the mobility of different parts of the protein molecule, preventing it from losing its working form. In experiments with the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which is sensitive to temperature under normal conditions, the reaction rate was increased by a factor of 4, while maintaining the efficiency of the enzyme.

Radio emission easily penetrates into living tissues and is harmless to the body. That is, with its help, you can control the activity of enzymes in the body and adjust the metabolism of cells. The authors of the work plan in the near future to test their approach with nanoparticles on other enzymes and try to use them to influence the vital activity of bacteria or cells - for example, to make them divide faster or slower.

Other interesting news:

▪ Mountain bike for a geologist

▪ Recharging through the asphalt

▪ Mars Return Capsule

▪ Output from mobile phone to printer

▪ Specialized tablet for schools Galaxy Tab E

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ website section Television. Article selection

▪ article by Marcel Proust. Famous aphorisms

▪ article When does the famous Ring-a-ring o'roses date back? Detailed answer

▪ article truck driver. Standard instruction on labor protection

▪ article Sound relay with time relay, 4 minutes. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Weightlessness and vegetable oil. physical experiment

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews