Booze and the Beast

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Booze and the Beast

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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 10:51 am Post subject: Booze and the Beast
radio 4 Tuesday 11:00 Booze and the Beast Drinking is an activity not confined to humans. Dr Gillian Rice meets the boozers and bingers of the animal world and investigates the evolution of their taste for alcohol.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 11:47 am Post subject:
This is a book on my wish list called 'Animals and Psychadelics - The Natural World and the Instinct to Alter Consciousness' by Giorgio Samorini https://www.loompanics.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-local/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+fqrg6821ff7d7e7d+-p+-c+scstore.cfg+85388

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 2:50 pm Post subject:

Well, I've known about reindeer having a taste for fly agaric (its almost Page 1 of Phillips), at least one pony that used to get p*ssed on rotting apples, dogs that liked a pint, and have heard tales of elephants and the effects of too much sugar cane...
But I have to say that seeing this as "altered consiousness" (rather than simple pleasurable "fun") does rather open up the whole question of what *un-*altered consiousness the animal might have to begin with...

It occurs to me that this may be one area where dolphins are at a significant disadvantage.

Unless there were sea "weeds" they might know about...

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 4:32 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

It occurs to me that this may be one area where dolphins are at a significant disadvantage.

I don't know, I've always thought dolphins had a reason for that cheery smile. Can anyone remember the quote from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy about dolphins having it sussed because all they do is swim around and eat fish and and have fun...making us humans (I use the term loosely

) the second most intelligent life form?

It was so much funnier when Douglas Adams said it.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 4:43 pm Post subject:
We tend to equate inteligence with cultural/scientific etc. acievement, but what might we find out about animals if we were not blinded by our anthropocentric views, standards and yard sticks?

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 7:17 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

...I've always thought dolphins had a reason for that cheery smile.

I'm sure they do. On the rare occasions I've enjoyed their company (sailing in the Med), I've noticed how they transmit happiness to all those present. But they do seem deprived of the specific pleasures of the products of fermentation...

Quote:

Can anyone remember the quote from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy about dolphins having it sussed because all they do is swim around and eat fish and and have fun...making us humans (I use the term loosely

) the second most intelligent life form?

I remember that they were intelligent enough to leave Earth shortly before it was destroyed to make way for a hyper-space by-pass. Their farewell message was "so long and thanks for all the fish".

More seriously, it astonishes me that anyone should hold any hope of communicating with any aliens they might find, while being unable to even exchange pleasantries with dolphins...

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 7:46 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

[quote="Bugs But they do seem deprived of the specific pleasures of the products of fermentation...

...

Another book from same publisher 'Stoned Free - How to Get High Without Drugs'
https://www.loompanics.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-local/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+fqrg6821ff7d7e7d+-p+-c+scstore.cfg+85203

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 9:21 pm Post subject:
Careful !! This is starting to look like a specialist subject... I've often wondered about the "lucid dreaming" thing, which sounds like fairly harmless fun, but I've also wondered whether getting serious about meditation made you wierd, or whether you have to be a bit wierd to get seriously into meditation... :bom:

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 9:48 pm Post subject:
Hm, interesting question, I'll have to meditate on that one.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 05 9:56 pm Post subject:
OK, but not for too long, please !

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 12:08 am Post subject:
Remember, the programme is this morning... Anyway, I'm not too impressed with the idea of rats actually having a sense of humour... https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4401695.stm

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 12:24 am Post subject:

Quote:

Other researchers prefer to view laughter and joy as uniquely human traits.

What utter tosh.

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