The long history of mankind has led people to the high level of development at which we are now. It is generally accepted that man is the only intelligent creature on the planet. However, in science there is no exact definition of the criterion of the mind. Therefore, it is difficult to give any characteristics. Disputes on this topic among scientists are still ongoing. It has been experimentally proved that dolphins, elephants, monkeys and other inhabitants of the planet can be attributed to intelligent creatures. And lovers of mysticism generally believe that the Earth is inhabited not only by humans, but also by other creatures that have come from outer space.
Concept of mind
Man is the most intelligent creature on the planet. However, the very concept of reason is quite broad. There are many criteria for evaluating this concept. With different approaches to this issue, it may turn out that there are much more intelligent beings on Earth than we are used to thinking. Scientists conducted numerous experiments during which evidence was obtained of the rationality of animals and other creatures. So, for example, monkeys, elephants and dolphins in the course of experiments discovered the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror, which indicates the existence of self-consciousnesses. Such experiments allow people to understand nature and comprehend the origin of the mind.
There are different options for defining the concept of reason. In general, we can say that this is an integral part of the essence of man or any other creature, which provides the possibility of meaningful activity. It is thanks to the mind that an adequate picture of the world is formed. It provokes solving problems in all possible ways, looking for answers to the questions posed. Reason is an incentive force, forcing to perform certain actions.
Intelligent monkeys
According to scientists, intelligent creatures on Earth are not so small. Monkeys can be safely attributed to them. Back in 1960, Gordon Gallup had an interesting experience. Chimpanzees under anesthesia applied red paint to the cheek in the ear area. The animal did not even know about it. After the chimpanzee came to, the pet was asked to look at itself in the mirror. It is worth noting that the animal was already familiar with its reflection and recognized itself.
So, seeing themselves in the mirror, they immediately clutched at the spot painted with paint. In the course of such simple experiments, animals quickly realized that something was wrong with them, which means that the monkey remembers how it looked before. Is this not a sign of rationality?
Later experiments were carried out with macaques. During the tests, it turned out that they did not perceive their reflection at all. In the mirror, a macaque sees an opponent and tries to bite him. It was not possible to work out at least some recognition of their reflection.
In the seventies, scientific reports appeared that gorillas and orangutans were also able to recognize themselves in the mirror. But other monkeys - capuchins, macaques, gibbons - do not recognize themselves in the reflection. By the way, other animals took part in further experiments: cats, pigeons, dogs, elephants. But all of them, too, did not recognize themselves in the reflections. Although, many animals are sentient beings.
Further experiments
It would seem that the fact that dogs are sentient beings is undeniable. Over the long history of mankind, these cute animals have long been side by side with people and have long proven their outstanding intelligence and abilities. However, in the course of experiments conducted with the mirror, it turned out that the dogs, seeing their image, perceives it as another dog. But since the animal does not feel any smell, it quickly loses interest in its own reflection.
Not so long ago, in Canada in the Vancouver area, the owners began to find broken mirrors on their cars. The first thing that came to mind was the appearance of a maniac. However, the solution to the strange phenomenon was quite simple. It was noticed that local woodpeckers got into the habit of flying up to the mirrors and smashing out with their powerful beak. Ornithologists explained that this is a very characteristic behavior for birds. In reflection, they see an opponent, and therefore enter into battle with him. Breaking a mirror, they defeat the enemy.
Dolphins
Many experts believe that dolphins are intelligent creatures. And there is a lot of scientific evidence for that. The unusual abilities of dolphins have long been known. These marine inhabitants carry a huge untapped potential. According to experts, dolphins have a speech. Of course, it is incomprehensible to us, but numerous analyzes of sound signals made by animals have been carried out. V. Tarchevskaya, a researcher at the bioacoustic laboratory, notes that their institution has been working on the topic of dolphin sound communication for many years.
The frequency range of the signals emitted by these animals significantly overlaps the human. Sound communication between people occurs at a frequency of 20 kHz, and for dolphins - at a frequency of 300 kHz. Studies have shown that animals have as many levels of sound organization as humans — six (sounds, syllables, phrases, words, etc.). Meaningful understanding in humans appears at the level of words, but at what level it arises among marine inhabitants is still unknown. Of course, dolphins are intelligent creatures. Despite numerous studies, much more about them remains unknown and unsolved.
Dolphins Identity
In the course of research, the question arose repeatedly about whether dolphins have self-awareness. Many have probably heard that there is an encephalization coefficient that shows the ratio of brain mass to whole body mass. There are many animals whose brain mass is more than human. An example is the sperm whale brain, weighing 7-8 kg. But when comparing the ratio of its mass with the body, a person wins. By the way, approximately at the human level is the encephalization coefficient of monkeys. But when calculating this value for dolphins, it turned out that the marine inhabitants are at its level between humans and chimpanzees.
A logical question arose whether marine animals can perceive their reflection in the mirror. In 2001, an experiment was conducted in the pool. A variety of invisible tags were put on dolphins. That is, the animals felt that something was glued on them. But in the mirror lowered in the pool, they did not see any foreign objects. Sailing toward him, they began to spin, substituting different parts of the body. Further analysis of the video filming confirmed that the dolphins turned to the mirror exactly those parts of the body where the marks were located. So, animals are aware of themselves in reflection. This suggests that they have the rudiments of self-awareness. No wonder dolphins have long been recognized as intelligent creatures.
Abilities of Sea Creatures
The intelligence of marine life has always amazed people. A lot of interesting facts can tell people working with them in dolphinariums. And the matter is not only in their excellent abilities for training. Elementary communication between dolphins and people occurs at the level of gestures and sound signals. However, trainers say that very often such intelligent living things do not need additional signals. They perfectly understand what they heard. Dolphins are generally incredibly amused by working with people, they are ready to follow them everywhere.
Interesting Facts
Dolphins are one of the most intelligent creatures on Earth. The recognition of this fact is undeniable. That is why in some countries they were even recognized as personalities, they were forbidden to keep them in captivity and to conduct entertainment programs with them. One of the first countries in this regard was India, it has historically developed an understanding of animal rights. Not so long ago, the Minister of the Environment banned any shows not only with dolphins, but also with other cetaceans, since it is not appropriate for sentient beings and personalities to be kept in captivity.
Following India, entertainment with sea animals was banned by Hungary, Costa Rica and Chile. And the reason for this decision was the cruel catch of dolphins in the Caribbean, Thailand, Japan and the Solomon Islands. During capture, humane means are not selected. The process itself is quite cruel. The flocks are driven in shallow water and choose suitable females, the remaining representatives of the flocks are mercilessly killed.
Elephants
There are not many kinds of sentient beings on the planet. But gradually their ranks are replenished with new representatives. Among them are elephants. The mental abilities of animals have been noticed and used by people for their own purposes for a long time. But recent studies of contemporaries allow us to rank them among sentient beings. Scientists have discovered that elephants are able to communicate with each other over long distances. At the same time, they make sounds inaccessible to the human ear. Only sometimes can people notice a slight rustling.
Experiments with mirrors were also carried out with the participation of elephants. After they placed it on the animals and they got acquainted with the subject, marks were put on the body. Some notes were invisible, while others were visible. After a while, the elephant began to look in the mirror and try to wipe the colored cross with his trunk. This means that elephants recognize themselves in the mirror. So they have self-awareness. But there is a slight nuance - animals do not distinguish colors.
But the elephants have a very good memory. They are able to remember people's faces and events, which indicates the level of intelligence. They remember years of friendship with a man, but they will not forgive the offender either.
The struggle of two minds
Some researchers believe that at one time two intelligent species fought among themselves for dominance. In this light, modern science fiction films about the struggle between cybermind and man do not seem so impossible. Researchers believe that in the past, a struggle for survival between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons is quite likely, as a result of which the latter won. And Neanderthals became extinct as a less developed species. There are no scientific confirmed facts of these events. But as a hypothesis, an assumption has a right to exist.
Perhaps not all Neanderthals were so undeveloped. Since archaeological excavations suggest that the size of their brain is comparable to the size of modern man. But then the other indicators are very different.
Theories of extinction
According to archaeologists, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals existed side by side for about five thousand years. Subsequently, the latter disappeared as a species. What is the reason for this, scientists do not yet know. There are various hypotheses. In particular, one of them says that a reasonable person could bring new diseases to foreign lands, from which all Neanderthals gradually died out. This version is followed by Jared Diamond. However, it seems doubtful, since five thousand years is a considerable period.
Other researchers believe that Neanderthals were unable to adapt to climate conditions. Although paleontologists say that the conditions for living in that era were very favorable.
They also suggest that Homo sapiens simply supplanted Neanderthals as a less developed species. But this hypothesis is also not entirely clear, since the existence of two intelligent beings on the planet is quite possible. For example, dolphins in the history of mankind live side by side with people who damage their populations, but still they live in the same world.
Instead of an afterword
There is no scientific evidence yet. All assumptions remain only guesses, which also have the right to life.