Comments on: Michael Tomasello on How Humans Are Unique

By: Kambiz

Kambiz — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:10:29 +0000

Bonobos have not, at this time, been documented to use tools in th wilde, Luis.

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:38:42 +0000

What about bonobos? We know they are psychologically and socially very diferent from chimpanzees.

Also I’m sure I have seen chimps imitate and learn through imitation at TV (documentaries). Chimps are also known to be able to work in teams, at least for hunting and war. Maybe they are not as smart as us but still…

By: A Review of the “What does it mean to be human?” panel at the 2008 World Science Festival « Anthropology.net

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:05:57 +0000

[...] human” held at this year’s World Science Festival in New York City. This week, we saw Michael Tomasello’s take on this question. Last month there was the What Makes Us Human conference. We’ve also read Marc Hauser’s [...]

By: Kambiz

Kambiz — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:39:36 +0000

Oldfart, that's the thing -- there have been examples that great apes can create things based off of imagination. Take for example ape paintings, it may seem like a joke, but it really isn't. There are documented cases that apes can and do paint. While they were taught to do so by humans, they did understand the concept, imagined things and painted them. Also great apes have been documented to problem solve, like fashioning spears to hunt. That takes some level of imagination to plan out and make a tool. Would you call these examples as proof that great apes can imagine and pretend? Kambiz

By: Oldfart

Oldfart — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:36:06 +0000

Do we really have to get into their minds? It seems to me that in order to show the ability to imagine or pretend, we need only show that they created something new without going through the trial-and-error process. By imagining it and then acting on it. Admittedly, this will be difficult to prove or disprove since it is possible to succeed in a trial-and-error proccess on the first trial. But you guys are all geniuses at designing these things and I’m sure one or more of you will figure it out.