Comments | hazeii: Abacus

hazeii

Abacus

Nov 25, 2003 11:42

Take two hazelnuts. Place on patio, and wait for a squirrel ( Read more... )

Comments 19

ex_pipistre November 25 2003, 04:10:44 UTC

i'll try and look some articles up for you on counting in animals, if you'd like. i know geese certainly can count the number of eggs in their nest, but once they get above a certain number [5, i believe], they no longer notice one being removed...

hazeii November 25 2003, 06:00:11 UTC

I've read a few articles about counting in animals (and in people, come to that) - all of which reminds of the case of 'Clever Hans'.

As for geese being good egg-counters...that's interesting, there must be some reproductive advantage in it. Wonder if they can generalise beyond eggs?

ex_pipistre November 25 2003, 06:19:28 UTC

isn't 'clever hans' the one where he got questions right by subtly reading the body language of his trainer? thought that was a neat trick :)

i suppose it pays off to be able to keep track of your eggs rather than losing them and letting them go all over the place...

hazeii November 25 2003, 16:55:45 UTC

Yup, you're right about Clever Hans, it's an interesting story because of the scientific approach used to determine what was really going on (i.e. determining that if the owner didn't know the aswer, neither did Hans)

lucifein November 25 2003, 05:21:43 UTC

( ... )

hazeii November 25 2003, 06:01:51 UTC

Haha, you can't trick me....that isn't really two nuts, it's the same nut twice :)

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Re: Hows about these then... are they the same nut twice? hazeii November 25 2003, 16:56:33 UTC

I see two more nuts and run away, completely outclassed....

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hazeii November 25 2003, 06:11:08 UTC

Probably inspired by Cantor, that quip...he wouldn't be fooled by it (being the guy who determined the arithmetic of infinity).

"Can you do addition?" the White Queen asked. "What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?"

"I don't know," said Alice. "I lost count."

arealhighlander November 25 2003, 07:07:51 UTC

I take it you have an exciting life down there in-between pogoing round dancefloors... LMAO!

hazeii November 25 2003, 16:58:17 UTC

Huh....what do you know, maybe I prefer fiddling with squirrel nuts to bouncing around dancefloors...

dsblw November 25 2003, 16:29:54 UTC

That would entirely depend on how much you had had to drink Handsome.

hazeii November 25 2003, 17:03:27 UTC

To which the answer would be either "Too much" or "Not Enough", of course.

dsblw November 26 2003, 10:58:01 UTC

OK we will take it as not enough....see you down the pub, and don't take too long or you will be way behind and probably have to pick me up off the floor.

hazeii November 26 2003, 15:19:43 UTC

Pick you up off the floor? Not my style, babe...it's more my thing to drink too much, so I can join you there :)

Thread 7