Comments on: Sapolsky's outstanding Stanford lecture on "The Uniqueness of Humans" http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 17:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: ill lich http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633637 ill lich Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633637 "Sapolsky make me want to go back to school. . . " So that I can correct my grammar and/or typing skills. “Sapolsky make me want to go back to school. . . ”

So that I can correct my grammar and/or typing skills.

]]> By: daemonsquire http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633647 daemonsquire Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633647 Thanks, Cory--I've got the "Sapolsky Stanford Sex Lectures" in my library, thanks to you, and look forward to watching this one. You might enjoy listening to Sapolsky on the most recent episode of <a href="http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/10/19/new-normal/">Radio Lab</a> (in the first ~20 minutes), talking about his studies, some 30 years ago, of a troop of baboons whose alpha males were killed by disease, and henceforth took on a much less violent, rather <i>un-baboony</i> way of being with one another. Sapolsky found it inspiring, with an eye towards the possibility of humans ever, one day, ceasing to war--so much so, that he wrote up his findings in an article for <a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/61382/robert-m-sapolsky/a-natural-history-of-peace">Foreign Affairs</a> magazine (free reg req'd to read full article). Thanks, Cory–I’ve got the “Sapolsky Stanford Sex Lectures” in my library, thanks to you, and look forward to watching this one. You might enjoy listening to Sapolsky on the most recent episode of Radio Lab (in the first ~20 minutes), talking about his studies, some 30 years ago, of a troop of baboons whose alpha males were killed by disease, and henceforth took on a much less violent, rather un-baboony way of being with one another. Sapolsky found it inspiring, with an eye towards the possibility of humans ever, one day, ceasing to war–so much so, that he wrote up his findings in an article for Foreign Affairs magazine (free reg req’d to read full article).

]]> By: daemonsquire http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633661 daemonsquire Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633661 Just FYI, ill lich, <i>sapolsky</i> functions as a plural, too. There is a unique phylum of engrossing professors that engender an urge to return to school... <i>"The sapolsky, they make me yearn for the days of term paper assignments and Ritalin-fueled cram sessions" Just FYI, ill lich, sapolsky functions as a plural, too. There is a unique phylum of engrossing professors that engender an urge to return to school… “The sapolsky, they make me yearn for the days of term paper assignments and Ritalin-fueled cram sessions”

]]> By: Avi Solomon http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633698 Avi Solomon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633698 Correct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc Correct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc

]]> By: mermaid http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-634227 mermaid Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-634227 I find him extremely hot. I find him extremely hot.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-634232 Brainspore Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-634232 Most important difference: We have guns to shoot any other animal that gets out of line. Watch your backs, dolphins. Most important difference: We have guns to shoot any other animal that gets out of line. Watch your backs, dolphins.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633492 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633492 Excellent lecture! One thing is worth pointing out: people talking about "human uniqueness" very often generalize similarly to how people often talk about how "men differ from women". As statistical averages there are some things that distinguish humans and animals. But there is no feature that all humans have that no animal has. Excellent lecture! One thing is worth pointing out: people talking about “human uniqueness” very often generalize similarly to how people often talk about how “men differ from women”. As statistical averages there are some things that distinguish humans and animals. But there is no feature that all humans have that no animal has.

]]> By: Marsha Keeffer http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633763 Marsha Keeffer Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633763 Smart and clear - he distills decades of research with ease. Smart and clear – he distills decades of research with ease.

]]> By: Petter http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633542 Petter Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633542 Thanks, very moving! Thanks, very moving!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633543 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633543 You should check out Frans de Waal if you like Sapolsky. You should check out Frans de Waal if you like Sapolsky.

]]> By: Thor23 http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633549 Thor23 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633549 It's a brilliant lecture. On the other hand he constantly says this thing was thought to be unique but now isn't, and that that is unique. Isn't that a bit silly if it's clear that everything he says is unique will later be discovered to be non-unique. Besides, what do we care if we are unique with regards non-reproductive sex? Nevertheless, it's really fascinating. An interesting example is lying, where Ravens (Corvids) have been discovered to lie: http://www.pandalous.com/topic/how_to_tell_if_a_raven It’s a brilliant lecture. On the other hand he constantly says this thing was thought to be unique but now isn’t, and that that is unique. Isn’t that a bit silly if it’s clear that everything he says is unique will later be discovered to be non-unique. Besides, what do we care if we are unique with regards non-reproductive sex? Nevertheless, it’s really fascinating.
An interesting example is lying, where Ravens (Corvids) have been discovered to lie: http://www.pandalous.com/topic/how_to_tell_if_a_raven

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633555 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633555 My cat feels empathy for me. I don't think it's unique that humans feel empathy for other species. My cat feels empathy for me. I don’t think it’s unique that humans feel empathy for other species.

]]> By: Avi Solomon http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633569 Avi Solomon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633569 Meeting with Sapolsky at his lab in Stanford was one of the high points of my life:) Here's a recent lecture by Sapolsky on Depression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc: Meeting with Sapolsky at his lab in Stanford was one of the high points of my life:) Here’s a recent lecture by Sapolsky on Depression:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxfc:

]]> By: Roach http://boingboing.net/2009/11/10/sapolskys-outstandin.html#comment-633596 Roach Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-633596 If I may pull a Takuan: http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/chesterton/everlasting/part1c1.htm If I may pull a Takuan:

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/chesterton/everlasting/part1c1.htm

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