[ExI] Birdbrains

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of John Clark
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2016 2:46 PM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: [ExI] Birdbrains

 

>…We've talked before about how smart birds are, in a new article Olkowicz et al found that crows jays and ravens have twice as many neurons per volume of brain as humans do, and the shorter inter-neural distances results in faster informational speeds too. I suppose when there is evolutionary pressure for a flying animal to get smarter because of the weight considerations it can't just take the brute force approach and make the brain bigger, it must make the brain better. I wouldn't be surprised if birds have less spaghetti code in how the neurons are wired together than humans do too

​;​

if so they would be ideal subjects for brain research.   

 

http://www.pnas.org/content/113/26/7255.full 

 

 John K Clark

 

 

 

 

Ja, and that group is fun to watch.  Last week at a camping trip, we were having lunch at a picnic area.  The Steller’s jays were squawking and asking for a handout.  We were being good wildlife conscious hikers and didn’t give them anything.  I was holding a granola bar in my hand.  A feathery bahstid swooped down and snatched it out of my hand.  {8^D  I was laughing too hard to be pissed about my trail food going down his gullet.

 

spike

 

 

 

 

 

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