The chimp who thought he was a boy

[Penguin]

The Telegraph article resolutely avoids discussing the credit many indigenous shamanic traditions give to the plants themselves, saying that the plant spirits tell us how to use them. If that is the case, it may be that the plants share that knowledge with other animals as well.

Indeed. I was thinking the same thing... Good point. I find that plausible.

[Penguin]

compared2what: How about this article about health benefits of eating dirt (more to the point: soil bacteria) ?

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 033007.php

"Getting dirty may lift your mood
Bacteria found in the soil activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin

Treatment of mice with a ‘friendly’ bacteria, normally found in the soil, altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs, reports research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience.

These findings, identified by researchers at the University of Bristol and colleagues at University College London, aid the understanding of why an imbalance in the immune system leaves some individuals vulnerable to mood disorders like depression.

Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper from Bristol University, said: "These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt."

Interest in the project arose after human cancer patients being treated with the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae unexpectedly reported increases in their quality of life. Lowry and his colleagues reasoned that this effect could be caused by activation of neurons in the brain that contained serotonin.

When the team looked closely at the brains of mice, they found that treatment with M. vaccae activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin. The lack of serotonin in the brain is thought to cause depression in people, thus M. vaccae’s effects on the behavior of mice may be due to increasing the release of serotonin in parts of the brain that regulate mood.

The new research supports this hypothesis, but future studies will be designed to determine if M. vaccae, other bacteria, or pharmaceutical compounds have antidepressant properties through activation of this group of serotonin neurons."

[OP ED]

a peace offering for the animal lovers, something we can both enjoy.





and here I thought it'd be more difficult to find pictures of women and dolphins.

[FourthBase]

That dolphin looks very happy.

[Avalon]

That's because the dolphin does not have to be neurotic about eating more than a lettuce leaf.

The dolphin doesn't feel the need to shave its nether parts. Nor is it wearing a bathing suit bottom that is strangely twisted, so that the area with the most fabric is not over her mons (note where her navel is), but several inches away. What the hell is it with her left leg? It seems to be coming off her hips at the wrong place.

"I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contained." -- Walt Whitman

[OP ED]

That's because the dolphin does not have to be neurotic about eating more than a lettuce leaf.

The dolphin doesn't feel the need to shave its nether parts. Nor is it wearing a bathing suit bottom that is strangely twisted, so that the area with the most fabric is not over her mons (note where her navel is), but several inches away. What the hell is it with her left leg? It seems to be coming off her hips at the wrong place.

"I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contained." -- Walt Whitman

aw, you're breaking my heart. poor mistreated supermodel clearly has no choice but to live that lifestyle. fortunately the money SI paid for the shoot will be ample compensation for any loss of dignity.

i forsaw the poor supermodel bit coming, btw, and chose to post it anyway. FB has a better chance making me feel bad for the Dolphin, who probably only got paid in fish. I wonder if anyone even told the Dolphin s/he was gonna be famous. Maybe it would've asked for more fish.

I just decided to try my best not to engage in more flame wars with 4B, as i actually kind of like him, really. and i understand his POV as best i can. i know he is an animal person, having seen all the primates he placed in the "images only" thread. as long as he understands that my area of study involves specifically the differences between chimp and human neurons, then perhaps we can have more constructive dialogue in the future. this was my attempt to extinguish the previous fires.

please feel free to be offended by supermodels.

count yourself lucky though, that Jeff's rules prohibit me from posting the OTHER girl + dolphin + pictures I found. seriously.

[Penguin]

heehee

[FourthBase]

That dolphin looks very happy.

I wasn't being sarcastic, he (or she?) looks quite happy.

as long as he understands that my area of study involves specifically the differences between chimp and human neurons

Well, that's interesting. I would hope you've been studying bonobo neurons and common chimp neurons separately? I would also hope you'd know that differences on the level of a neuron probably wouldn't change my mind about human-animal equivalency in the slightest.

[Searcher08]

That dolphin looks very happy.

I was just thinking that. Actually, that picture is just crying out for a caption of a disrespectful and/or subversive nature....

[OP ED]

That dolphin looks very happy.

I wasn't being sarcastic, he (or she?) looks quite happy.

as long as he understands that my area of study involves specifically the differences between chimp and human neurons

Well, that's interesting. I would hope you've been studying bonobo neurons and common chimp neurons separately? I would also hope you'd know that differences on the level of a neuron probably wouldn't change my mind about human-animal equivalency in the slightest.

Yes and/or No. and i don't mean differences in individual neurons per se. i was merely pointing out that i spend a significant portion of my time studying the unique portions of human brains, so it is possible that this seems more important to me than it does to you.

i should also point out that i am not neccessarily against "rights" for certain non-human species. only that, being philosophically amoralist, i would probably couch it in different language and present it with a different emphasis.

personally, i view the ultimate human destiny as our continuation of "annukaki project" of fostering greater consciousness expansion for other species on this planet. studying other primates' mental faculties is extremely important to understanding both what makes us connected to other lifeforms and also what makes us, and them, unique in various ways.

i don't subscribe to a natural equality or equivalence per se even between individuals humans, so i feel no need to apply such standards to non-humans either. i'll trade you twenty hitlers for a gandhi.

i would like to see a moratorium on the testing of some animals for research purposes. i do not believe it is even neccessary anymore, except for purely economic reasons, which are usually bad for philosophies.

so, no, i do not expect to change your opinion anymore than you should expect mine to change. i was merely pointing out that our opinions, in practice at least, are probably not as divergent as our conversations seem to imply. This is one of the downsides to having [i'll add the word "slightly" so as not to offend] more sophisticated language faculties.

[Horatio Hellpop]

It's little known fact that one of the core principles of Scientology is animal liberation. Ron wrote that certain technologies are being repressed that allow human / animal communication at a very basic level. One of the difficulties they found with these (alleged) translation machines, was that symbolic concepts could not be put across to the animal. Nevertheless, Ron felt they were capable of learning symbology and envisaged a future paradise where animals had similar rights to humans.

[Endomorph]

It's little known fact that one of the core principles of Scientology is animal liberation. Ron wrote that certain technologies are being repressed that allow human / animal communication at a very basic level. One of the difficulties they found with these (alleged) translation machines, was that symbolic concepts could not be put across to the animal.

If their concept of animal liberation was anything like their concept of human liberation, I would imagine that a bigger difficulty would be that the animals couldn't cough up vast sums of money to pay for their "liberation."

[orz]

What the hell is it with her left leg? It seems to be coming off her hips at the wrong place.

What? Not heard of refraction!?

Does noone know how to look at things any more!?

[orz]

It's little known fact that one of the core principles of Scientology is animal liberation.

Interesting!

OT7:

End Phenomenon: “The rehabilitation of the ability of a Thetan to project intention.”

Notes:
More NOTs, but done solo at this point.

This is a rehash of previous OT levels that involves more people spotting, word clearing and Body Thetan auditing.

It also asks you to go to a zoo and communicate with animals.

Also, it asks you to go to a park to communication with plants and trees.

You are also told to practice placing intentions on other people.

[compared2what?]

It's little known fact that one of the core principles of Scientology is animal liberation. Ron wrote that certain technologies are being repressed that allow human / animal communication at a very basic level. One of the difficulties they found with these (alleged) translation machines, was that symbolic concepts could not be put across to the animal. Nevertheless, Ron felt they were capable of learning symbology and envisaged a future paradise where animals had similar rights to humans.

Well...I don't know that I would say it's a little known fact, because the word "fact" while not inaccurate, suggests that his aim was what he stated it to be in simple terms, which a fuller consideration of the man, his life, and the institution he founded tends to contradict.

He may well have envisaged a world in which humans had similar rights to animals. It seems quite likely to me that he did, and furthermore that he viewed such a world as a future paradise. Just not for the animals and humans and plants who were enjoying their similar rights to be totally subjugated to some immortal Godlike form of L. Ron Hubbard will -- in short, just not a paradise in the way most people probably envision when they see that word.