I for one am rarely afraid to ask questions, stupid or otherwise, when my curiosity is piqued.
Do the ravens in Sante Fe align in vee formations when they roll off chandelles? If they do, then regardless of whether they are having fun, it is an interesting pattern formation which causes one to ask reasonably why they choose such a formation. Do they do it for the sheer pleasure of the esthetics of the vee formation? This would, it seems, entail some "fun" of the formation, although I doubt I would find many people who would argue that is the fun they derive. So then why is it fun that they should align in those formations? I myself wouldn't claim to subscribe to a behaviourist school, unless you can generalize the term to include analysis of the emergence of physical patterns among collectives. Pattern formation within sandpiles is more akin to my specific interests than the behaviour of individual animals. That is always interesting too, but it isn't the focus of my inquiry here. Hugh Trenchard ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Lissaman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 1:05 PM Subject: [FRIAM] Will Rogers and Animal Behavior > When he was given a brief description of the learned theories of Dr. > Freud, > and told that they accounted for all human behavior, Will Rogers stated > that: "he found it real interesting, but reckoned that in Oklahoma, folks > mainly did things jes' acause they felt like it". I gave a paper at AIAA > annual meeting in Reno earlier this week on birds extracting energy from > turbulence. There's a lot in it for the birdies, with their low flight > speeds, superb sensing and rapid response. Ravens in Santa Fe are > marvellous aerobats in the turbulence rolling off the Sangres. But why? > When you see them rolling off perfect chandelles, as with dolphins surfing > and gamboling in the bow wave, you have to admit that they're "jes' havin' > fun", contrary to these gloomy animal "behavioristos" who claim animals do > everything for a reason. > > Peter Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures > > Expertise is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for. > > 1454 Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 > TEL: (505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694 > > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
