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chicken intelligence - surprisingly smart animals

Secret Geniuses: 5 Surprisingly Smart Animals

While they may not be known as the smartest animals in the world, these 5 animals are unexpectedly brainy. This list of surprisingly smart animals examines the intelligence of five underestimated species. […]

altruism in chimpanzees

Altruism in Chimpanzees

In 2005, Drs. Felix Warnecken and Michael Tomasello conducted a study on altruism in human infants and chimpanzees.1 Altruism is taking action to help someone else, even when that action won’t be reciprocated or otherwise benefit oneself. To put it simply, altruistic actions are motivated purely by the desire to […]

Cute raccoon

How Environment Influences Animal Intelligence

Depending on the characteristics of the environment it lives in, an animal species may develop a wide range of physical adaptations to help it survive there. But mental adaptations can occur as well, sometimes sparking the […]

Shocked cat

The Animals that Love Doing Drugs

Since time immemorial, humans have amused themselves through intoxication. Whether it was our cavemen ancestors chewing on hallucinogenic plants, medieval villagers unwinding with a cup of mead, or the hippies of the 60’s indulging in psychedelics, it’s safe to say that drug use is one of our oldest pastimes. However, humans […]

cambridge declaration on consciousness

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness

On the 7th of July, 2012, a group of scientists released the “Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness”. The statement puts forth the case that many animals are conscious, even if in different degrees and qualities than humans. There is enough evidence to render untenable Descartes’ conception of animals as automatons without any inner life. […]

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