Quote Originally Posted by j_h_smith View Post
I don't claim to be an expert on this subject (or many other subjects for that matter), but I don't know how much we (as humans) understand other animals. I think OUR REALITY IS OUR PERCEPTION. We cannot undestand that which is beyond our perception. I know this is getting deep, so I'm sorry.

If you lived in the jungle and never saw an airplane, what would you perceive this thing to be? I don't know, because I know what an airplane is and can't understand their perception.

If you lived on the top of a mountain and you saw a fish for the first time, what would you think of the fish? I don't know, because I know what a fish is and can't understand their perception. And I'm just talking about another human. Now, we're talking about reptiles.

Do we conclude that reptiles perceive as we do? Do we believe that everything that makes you a person has to pertain to what makes a reptile a reptile?

Okay now it's really getting deep. But I don't know if we (meaning the human race) actually understand as much of the world as we think we do. We perceive things in the human sense, but do we really know what's going on. Because we are at the top of what we believe to be the evolutionary charts, we pat ourselves on the back, telling ourselves how much we know and we are better off for it. But I think the animals have it much better than we do. How many of you can find north or south without the use of a compass? How many of us could survive without our manmade tools? Ever heard the word horse sense? They know where to step and stop short of that rattlesnake without seeing it. I can keep on going with examples, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

We know what we know and convienently try to surround everything with that knowledge.


Jim Smith
You're entitled to your opinion, but let me try to explain why your opinion is wrong

What you're arguing is completely unrelated to snakes having emotion. Snakes emotions are not a matter of relativity and perception. It is fine to ask philisophical questions like "what would we think of _____ if we had never seen one" but a snake doesn't have the capacity to even form thoughts like that. They have no cortex! They have no ability to construct abstract thoughts. Their reactions to stimuli are based on the fight or flight reflex. IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO GO OUT ON A LIMB you could say that snakes can express two emotions; anger and fear. Either their brain sends out a message that says "get aggressive" or it sends out a message that says "run the heck away". Or they can stay neutral. That's it.

I guess I have trouble understanding why "They don't have that part of their brain" isn't a good enough explanation... It's not a matter of we just can't imagine what it's like to think like a snake; it's that snakes lack the physical capability to 'think'.

How about this way. It's like if I said "Pigs can fly"; but pigs can't fly, they don't have wings; "No, see, pigs can fly, they just maybe fly differently than we can imagine them flying". See how rediculous that sounds? Now how about "Snakes can feel"; but snakes can't feel, they don't have that part of their brain; "No, see..."

I dunno, believe what you want, just have some PHYSICAL evidence to back it up.

As for kremmel's post about plants... What a load of crap. Like... Common, seriously? Backster is a crackpot with no scientific training. His experiments have been recreated numerous times with strict control for extraneous variables and yielded no statistically significant results each and every time, to which Backster always responds that the scientists "misunderstood" something about his theory. There's a reason his work hasn't been widespread even though it's been around for over 40 years; because it's not true.

Also, wth was up with that whole dimensions thing? There are three dimensions. X, Y, and Z. You know why there are only three dimensions? Because the concept of dimensions is a human invention. So really, asking whether snakes have emotions is nothing like asking nonsensical questions about "5th dimensions". That one just confused the hell out of me :S

Either way, loving this thread, keep the responses coming.