talking animals

[auggybendoggy]

Guys I know this is a bit radical but I thought I might share this thought.

 

you know how animals in the bible have talked.

 

well maybe someone can shed some light on the following.

 

I've HEARD it said that man only uses a small percentage of his brain and if fully used he would EXTREMELY intellegent.

 

I tend to think (due to idiot savant autism) that there is truth to this. Some autistic children can hear a song and play it on piano or put numbers like no computer can in an instant.

 

What if animals only use a small percentage of their brain as well. If a snake or donkey used a larger percentage perhaps they could talk

 

ok ok quit laughing,

 

its only fun to th ink about

 

Auggy

[duma]

you know how animals in the bible have talked.

Consider the source. I would also note the Charlotte the spider could talk to a pig, and write notes in her web.

 

I've HEARD it said that man only uses a small percentage of his brain and if fully used he would EXTREMELY intellegent.

That isn't exactly true. Think of the number of muscles in your body. You don't use every single one every second of the day. You use different muscles for different tasks. Such is the same with your brain.

[appalachian_fox]

What if animals only use a small percentage of their brain as well. If a snake or donkey used a larger percentage perhaps they could talk

 

I would posit that it would take more than the extra brain power. IANAB, but from what I remember the vocalization mechanisms of animals are not developed in the same way that human's vocalization mechanisms are. So, even if they were more intelligent, there would still be the physiological barrier.

 

Of course, that's only if we're talking in the most strictly literal sense, where an animal is speaking in, at best, mildly-accented English. It's no secret that there are different language classes in the world that use different sounds (no trilled 'r's in Modern English, for example), and if we allow a degree of latitude in what we consider "talking" to be more dependent on communication and less on the proper reproduction of sounds, then I'd say that it's certainly plausible.

 

Seriously. I'd buy it's possible.

 

Now I'll laugh.

[Unclean]

There are quite a few animals out there that communicate already. Bonobos come to mind. And there are chimps that know sign language (and not just repeating specific patterns of hand motions).

 

And duma is right-on about the 10% of the brain myth. There are all sorts of sites out there that describe how incorrect that myth really is.

[duma]

And duma is right-on about the 10% of the brain myth. There are all sorts of sites out there that describe how incorrect that myth really is.

Of course I am..... need I present my credentials?

[Unclean]

And duma is right-on about the 10% of the brain myth. There are all sorts of sites out there that describe how incorrect that myth really is.

Of course I am..... need I present my credentials?

I'd settle for credit card information.

[duma]

And duma is right-on about the 10% of the brain myth. There are all sorts of sites out there that describe how incorrect that myth really is.

Of course I am..... need I present my credentials?

I'd settle for credit card information.

Sure.

 

Visa number 1128..... oh... you crazy guy, you almost had me.

[appalachian_fox]

*lurks in the corner waiting for the rest of the number...*

[Unclean]

why don't you just fill out a credit card application_fox?

[auggybendoggy]

how do these people who say the 10% is a myth argue the autisms accent?

 

I have considered the errency to this 10% myth and it may very well be true however I still cant seem to find a descent alternative reason HOW an autistic person could be so exteremly intellegent in a focused area.

 

seems like ther emight be truth to the myth

 

Aug

 

http://www.autism.org/savant.html

 

ok heres a site on it.

 

Why is it these people have these abilities if I use 100%

perhaps they use 100% all the time and thats their problem.

 

Perhaps the 10% myth has truth.

 

I tend to think the myth might have truth in that these people might be using certain areas of the brain at full capacity where normal people have inhibitions of the brain...

 

as if I know anything about brains!!!

 

hahahah im as smart as I am good at source : )

 

Aug

[appalachian_fox]

why don't you just fill out a credit card application_fox?

 

Hahaha, nice. Well played. However, despite the clever puns my nick lends itself to, if I were to get a credit card I would have to pay it off myself, hence the clever little loophole in taking someone else's information. You know, if you can call it that. Plus, application_fox, not stuff_application_in_an_envelope_buy_stamp_stick_to_envelope_mail_it_fox. That sounds like too much work.

 

And I totally missed it the first time. Had to read it twice

[auggybendoggy]

anyone got any thoughts on idiot savants?

[Thor]

how do these people who say the 10% is a myth argue the autisms accent?

 

I have considered the errency to this 10% myth and it may very well be true however I still cant seem to find a descent alternative reason HOW an autistic person could be so exteremly intellegent in a focused area.

 

seems like ther emight be truth to the myth

 

Aug

 

http://www.autism.org/savant.html

 

ok heres a site on it.

 

Why is it these people have these abilities if I use 100%

perhaps they use 100% all the time and thats their problem.

 

Perhaps the 10% myth has truth.

 

I tend to think the myth might have truth in that these people might be using certain areas of the brain at full capacity where normal people have inhibitions of the brain...

 

as if I know anything about brains!!!

 

hahahah im as smart as I am good at source : )

 

Aug

 

It is a myth that we use 10% of our brain. Why?

Well, there is no way to prove how much of the brain we use. In other words it could be 0% to 100%, we just don't have anything that can measure a value.

So we now know we could not possible know a value such as 10%. Ok, what about changing the myth into we use very little (like anything less then 50%) of our brain.

Well, the scanners we do have kind of prove Duma’s point.

That isn't exactly true. Think of the number of muscles in your body. You don't use every single one every second of the day. You use different muscles for different tasks. Such is the same with your brain.

The scanners show that we use many parts of our brains for different things.

 

All right, that’s pretty solid points (at least I think so). But what about the people that has lost half of there brain and still live a normal life? I remember reading about people who had to have parts of the brain removed and after they had a chance still to live a normal life. The only thing that you can conclude from this is some of your brain will take over the jobs that were cut out. So that would make you believe that in fact we do only use a small % of our brain.

^--- I can't seem to find the book i read that from. I will keep looking

 

I personally believe we use most of our brain but not all.

[duma]

But what about the people that has lost half of there brain and still live a normal life? I remember reading about people who had to have parts of the brain removed and after they had a chance still to live a normal life. The only thing that you can conclude from this is some of your brain will take over the jobs that were cut out. So that would make you believe that in fact we do only use a small % of our brain.

^--- I can't seem to find the book i read that from. I will keep looking

 

I personally believe we use most of our brain but not all.

There are a few things you are missing. First, when you say "normal" that isn't exactly correct. To say I can functin would be more accurate. There are issues that still exists with a person such as you describe. For example, there can be learning dissabilities, speech problems, and other things. Second, age is a factor. If a young mind that is still developing would face trauma, the brain can compensate. However, if an older person should suffer the same fate, they can lose function. Such as a person who is hit from behind will lose eyesight, and a person with a spike driven into their forehead will have a change in personality. Third, as the first two points suggest, there are other things at stake; your assumption leaves out too much to be conclusive.

[Unclean]

What data were used to come up with the number - 10%? Does this mean that you would be just fine if 90% of your brain was removed? If the average human brain weighs 1,400 grams (about 3 lb) and 90% of it was removed, that would leave 140 grams (about 0.3 lb) of brain tissue. That's about the size of a sheep's brain. It is well known that damage to a relatively small area of the brain, such as that caused by a stroke, may cause devastating disabilities. Certain neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease, also affect only specific areas of the brain. The damage caused by these conditions is far less than damage to 90% of the brain.

(Emphasis added). http://staff.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html

 

And if you'd like to hear a PhD's take on the myth, check out this side:

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/brain-myth

[auggybendoggy]

id like to hear the phd people explain why idiot savant brains function like computers. Memory that is absolutley flawless.

 

why are we not idiot savants if we all use our full capacity?

why are they so intellifent in a focused area if they are no different?

 

I'm not saying its a myth, I'm saying the myth may hold some water since I can't understand idiot savants being able to do what is NOT normal.

 

Too many documented savants to say its just a freak of nature. my GUESS is they may use more brain matter than we? I'm not saying they do I just cant seem to think that the reason they can remember things they was some do is because they have lots of calcium : )

 

Some can hear music played (classical mozart piano) and play it back on their first try w/o error. HOWWWWWW

 

their brain is functioning in a way that is AWSOME!

 

is it possible we were designed to function this way but not with the handicaps of savants.

 

Auggy

[emily]

I say we all use 100% of our brains, including idiot savants.

 

They just have areas that are more developed than others, such as math or music or whatever area it is that would deal with it.

 

Ours is considered more normal or average, because we can function socially as well as doing tasks like math.

 

For what idiot savants have in special talents, they are compensated for in lacking other important skills.

Edited April 14, 2006 by emily

[Unclean]

Emily talks like it's an RPG, but she's got the right idea. Why are some people smarter than others? Is it because some haven't "unlocked" the same potential as others? Or is it possible that some people are just smarter? I sway more towards the latter.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Unclean

[appalachian_fox]

Take the same hubs/switches, computers and wires, re-route them and you can increase (or decrease) your total bandwidth by orders of magnitude. I'm willing to believe that there are people better wired than I...though not more wired (coffeecoffeecoffee....).

 

You know, FWIW. That's not a scientific explanation, just one way I can rationalize it.

[emily]

Emily talks like it's an RPG, but she's got the right idea. Why are some people smarter than others? Is it because some haven't "unlocked" the same potential as others? Or is it possible that some people are just smarter? I sway more towards the latter.

 

 

Haha, I guess I've played too much EQ and other various mmorpgs You know, the idiot savants don't have an extra +5 in charisma!

[auggybendoggy]

I would equate the myth of using 10% = to saying access or sharpened in focused areas.

 

What I mean is I don't think theres much of a difference in saying

"we use 10% of our brain" vs. "we access only 10% of what our brain is functioning at".

 

I don't care if I have all the capabilities of an idiot savant....

I care that I can't do it.

 

It leads me to the same possibility that perhaps God designed man to be like this. Perhaps animals too have inhibitors from being more intellegent than they currently are.

 

My point is savants are obviously displaying that the brain is much more capable of doing things than we "NORMAL" people do.

[TheGeek]

you know how animals in the bible have talked.

Consider the source. I would also note the Charlotte the spider could talk to a pig, and write notes in her web.

 

I have not yet seen proof that the bible is false. All i have seen is proof that the bible matches in historical records, timelines (when scientific hardware is set up for the earth to be only roughly 12,000 years old), eye witnesses...... it goes on and on.

[Thor]

I have not yet seen proof that the bible is false.

I will quote my teacher Dr. Petz

"The bible is not seen as a historical document but just a bounch of stories with good lessons in it"

The bible is like legends sure some stories my have some truth in it but can't be taken word for word.

So the statment

Consider the source. I would also note the Charlotte the spider could talk to a pig, and write notes in her web.

is very accurate.

[auggybendoggy]

whether the bible is true or false do you deny the immense capabilities of idiot savants.

 

Whether you believe the bible or whether you believe it's a fairy tale, how do you explain savants achievments of their minds.

 

My take is the 10% myth has truth in one way or another. But my other thought is that perhaps God designed us to have flawless memory, comprehension and perhaps even animals is they could access more of their brain matter could speak : ) hahahaha

i know i sound ridiculous.

 

Auggy

[Mr.Cool]

u know wut i think?

 

HACKS!! ITS ALL HACKSS!!!!!!!!!

 

ps. someone send this myth to mythbusters and see wut they say!