Dolphin mothers modify signature whistles in the presence of their own calves
pnas.org
pnas.org
I’ve also noticed something similar when talking to people with whom I hardly share any common language with. I use more obvious or exaggerated facial expressions and vocal intonations to try to convey meaning better.
Not sure if this kind of compartmentalising is in any way useful for human babies, probably not in any beneficial way I guess.
Requires consistency, ymmv if you rescued an adult
Some dolphins have more than twice the number of neurons we do.
I bet they've got some interesting things to say.
Larger animals have more neurons because they have a larger surface area (full of sensors, that need to terminate someplace).
Some animals have noses with very large surface area (lots of sensors). I suspect surface area of my Irish Wolfhound's nose is something like the size of a football pitch.
I'd bet dolphins, seals, and the like have a lot more sensors/cm2 of skin than humans, and probably other important sensing as well that we don't need.
Unlike, say, octopus, I'd expect the higher order reasoning of mammals to use structures somewhat similar to each other. I doubt think dolphins' brains devote much of those extra neurons to higher order reason (but this is speculation -- I'm no cetaceanologist, nor neurologist for that matter).
> I bet they've got some interesting things to say.
Probably much less than the average human, and that's a pretty low bar, even with a generous definition of "interesting"
Whether this turns out to be right or wrong, that is such an interesting thought!
In the open ocean, an environment so foreign to us, we might not have a good sense for what /is/ interesting. Perhaps tactics is interesting to dolphins. Perhaps social equity is of chief importance, or they control technology related to the moving of currents and surface waters, we won't know unless we can place ourselves in their position, else its speculation.
Again, quite interesting and glad you've shared your ideas, hope we can connect.
That's interesting. For what reason should we presume sensors/cm2 is higher in aquatic than terrestrial species? Is sensation of flow across the skin very important to them? I was thinking about this myself and presumed the opposite, that proprioception is important but feeling each portion of the skin isnt so important, after all sensation across the skin for a swimming animal would be unending, like tinnitus for a man.
Good thinking and glad we could connect.
Some water-based animals can detect electric impulses from muscles of their prey/predators.
Here's some introductory text about shark senses: https://www.sharktrust.org/shark-senses
(This makes the prospects of talking to them all the more interesting.)
A: Disney: "We all come to be the best of friends"
B: Quentin Tarantino: "Whales recruit the other sea-life. Sentences all humans to death"
(In my story, likely the larger whales would remain scornful of humans, mostly avoiding contact, to say nothing of cooperation.)
and in my Humboldt opinion, it would have appeal well beyond the San Francisco area!
That we could fantasize to communicate to extra-terrestrial aliens but neglect communication with our intelligent earthly neighbors... It seems to me like a lost opportunity.
:) Just kidding. Nice idea
they also told us that signed poetry "enjoys" a physical movement sort of rhyming (which is also the oral origin of sonic rhyming anyway, i suppose)
Don't eat fish.
https://www.seaspiracy.org/facts
10,000+ dolphins are killed as bycatch off the coast of France every year
Millions of tonnes of dead animals: the growing scandal of fish waste
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/09/millions...
Are fish far more intelligent than we realize?
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/4/5958871/fish-intelligence-smart...
A fish can sense another’s fear, a study shows
https://apnews.com/article/empathy-zebrafish-oxytocin-origin...
Eating mackerel no longer sustainable, Good Fish Guide advises
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/05/mackerel...
4 Ways The Fishing Industry is Destroying the Planet
https://animalequality.org/blog/2022/06/07/fishing-industry-...
Not that the ocean fishing industry isn't pretty screwed currently, with overfishing, lost gear which is deadly for marine life, etc. OTOH farmed fish exists (of what I regularly see it's mostly salmon, trout, and tilapia).
IIRC it takes upto 5 kg of fishmeal to produce 1kg of farmed fish.
Fish farming has also issues (water pollution, eutrophication, diseases and parasites, feed dependency contributing to overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices, ...).
Antibiotic use in fish farms poses threat to humans, study says https://www.aquaculturenorthamerica.com/antibiotic-use-in-fi...
May be less ecologically harmful than fishing, but it's not exactly good either.
Edit: correction as per the helpful reply below.
> nasty chemicals into the water like hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide really isn't that problematic. It is pretty unstable and reacts into oxygen and water. It kills algae and bacteria in what is likely the cleanest way possible.
But they're using all sorts of different stuff. It's been so bad at times they've basically been throwing spaghetti at a wall to see if it sticks. Most of it there's not even any research to suggest the drugs they're trying are safe ecologically. But they try it anyway; it's a woefully underregulated industry right now.
And there's the general problem that any indiscriminate use of antibiotics(in the general definition of the word, not the one restricted to bacteria) in a factory farming context is bound to lead to the development of highly resistant pathogens. That just follows from Darwin, really.
I believe spearfishing, if done right, is the most humane way of fishing. It allows one to be selective and take only what's required.
Maybe not at present net-dragging prices, but I've been mackereling a couple of times, with crab lines trailing off the back (while we headed to a deeper spot for rod fishing), absolute easiest fishing imaginable, it doesn't qualify as sport. Some 'bycatch', but only other edibles like swordfish. And of course fishing like that you can set them free if not desired anyway.
Depending on season I can't really imagine it could be much more expensive. Afaict the only reason there isn't more commercial action from small boats is the competition from big trawlers. If you eat mackerel at an independent restaurant in a coastal town on the UK I think there's a good chance it's a local catch by a local fisherman. They're just not going to get the bigger contracts, nor pieces of them when they can be filled in total by a bigger operation.
I’m not sure why people are downvoting this, you can literally by fish free cat food https://cats.com/fish-free-cat-food.
Pets should eat insect-based food, and there should be less pets, that's I think a better direction
Sometimes a good comment can be downvoted by the first couple of people before swinging around, sometimes a good comment is unfairly left downvoted or sometimes a downvoted comment means worth thinking whether maybe it wasn't as good as thought - regardless it's just a comment's karma so try not to care.
They also were not raised and selected for that fate.
So?
Nearly half of all grain is either burned as fuel or eaten by animals
https://yourveganfallacyis.com/en/vegans-kill-animals-too
"Crop fields do indeed disrupt the habitats of wild animals, and wild animals are also killed when harvesting plants. However, this point makes the case for a plant-based diet and not against it, since many more plants are required to produce a measure of animal flesh for food (often as high as 12:1) than are required to produce an equal measure of plants for food (which is obviously 1:1). Because of this, a plant-based diet causes less suffering and death than one that includes animals."
> They also were not raised and selected for that fate.
At that point why not eat chicken eggs occasionally and reduce the amount of grain you’re eating?
How would choosing the ant death not give you the moral high ground?
Veganism: a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
As far as is possible and practicable.
> why not eat chicken eggs occasionally
Eggs are not better:
- Animal Exploitation: The egg industry involves practices that vegans find ethically objectionable. Chickens raised for egg production are often subjected to cramped and inhumane conditions in factory farms. Male chicks, considered non-profitable in egg production, are typically culled shortly after hatching, which many vegans find cruel and unnecessary.
- Hen Welfare: Commercial egg-laying hens may be kept in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures that restrict their movement and natural behaviors. Alternatives such as "cage-free" or "free-range" systems still often involve crowded and stressful conditions for hens. Vegans aim to avoid supporting these practices by not consuming eggs.
- Environmental Impact: Egg production can have environmental implications. Large-scale egg farms contribute to issues such as water pollution, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions. By abstaining from eggs, vegans aim to reduce their ecological footprint and promote more sustainable food choices.
- Alternative Options: With the availability of plant-based alternatives, such as tofu, chickpea flour, or commercial egg substitutes made from plant ingredients, vegans have options to replace eggs in recipes and dishes. These alternatives provide similar functionalities without the ethical concerns associated with egg consumption.
- Stress and Behavioral Problems: Hens in intensive egg production systems may experience stress due to overcrowded conditions, lack of space to move, and limited opportunities for natural behaviors like nesting, perching, and dust bathing. These stressful environments can lead to behavioral problems and increased aggression among hens.
- Physical Health Issues: The selective breeding of hens for high egg production can result in physical health problems. Hens may experience weakened bones and osteoporosis due to the calcium depletion caused by continuous egg laying. Feather loss, foot injuries, and infections are also common in crowded battery cage systems.
- Reproductive Disorders: The high demand for egg production can lead to reproductive disorders in hens. These can include egg-binding (when an egg gets stuck in the reproductive tract), prolapse (protrusion of reproductive organs), and ovarian cysts. These conditions can be painful and require veterinary intervention.
- Lack of Veterinary Care: In some intensive egg production systems, individual veterinary care for hens is limited or nonexistent. This can result in untreated injuries, infections, and health issues going unaddressed.
(chatgpt)
1. 5k acre grain fields are an artificial monoculture we created that happens to be a great habitat for field mice. This versus going to dolphins' natural habitat and killing them while taking their food.
2. Those 5k acre industrially processed grain fields are actually a horrible way to farm and are reducing the arability of the land much more quickly than any other method we've come up with, so I view your comment as yet another reason why we need to wipe out megafarming and replace it with something more sustainable.
3. And before you bring up "but we'll starve!"
a. We will anyway since we're using the land without replenishing it, and
b. we could just stop wasting 40% of the food we produce to make up any deficit that comes from sustainable or regenerative farming, and
c. you're trying to draw some sort of equivalency between dolphins and mice, so I just ask you to extend that equivalency to humans and ask yourself why people are any more important than the other 2.
Waste is high because food is cheap. Reducing waste will look exactly the same as making food expensive.
No we’re not. Soil management is critical to large scale farms.
Researchers found more than 90 per cent of the conventionally farmed soils in their global study were thinning, and 16 per cent had lifespans of less than a century.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200914115905.h...
Soil degradation costs U.S. corn farmers a half-billion dollars every year
One-third of the fertilizer applied to grow corn in the U.S. each year simply compensates for the ongoing loss of soil fertility.
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/01/12/soil-degradation-c...