[extropy-chat] IQ/LANGUAGE: recursion

[Robert J. Bradbury]

Puzzled monkeys reveal key language step
New Scientist 15 Jan 04
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994572

It looks like the ability to handle recursion in language
(or perhaps the ability to hold onto multiple states
simultaneously?) may be a key feature in preventing lower
animals from developing sophisticated languages.

Its strange -- I don't recall encountering the concept
of recursion until my first programming language classes
in college.  Yet I must have been using it all along
in the processing of language structures.

The interesting thing about this is what one will find
if one applies it to species like dolphins, whales, parrots,
etc.  Potentially it creates a new class on an extropic
complexity scale -- e.g. bacteria, plants, lower animals,
animals that can handle recursion and finally humans.
One would presumably scale the "rights" of entities at
such levels accordingly.

Also of interest would be whether or not there are language
or communication structures that are beyond our ability
to grasp.  If so this might make communication with advanced
technological civilizations rather difficult (similar to
the difficulty we have in communicating with monkeys).

Robert