Chimpanzees granted 'legal persons' status to defend their rights in court

[Sava]

I don't even believe in natural rights, fumbduck.

Thanks for sharing. Maybe next time tell someone who cares.

[Jon Miller]

do you have a larger point? that article is about IQ tests

If we have difficulty making meaningful tests of human intelligence what makes you think our tests are meaningful for animal vs human?

JM

[Sava]

If we have difficulty making meaningful tests of human intelligence what makes you think our tests are meaningful for animal vs human?

JM

So your argument is that all tests involving intelligence are bad because IQ tests suck.

Gotcha.

That's stupid.

[regexcellent]

If you could teach a chimp to do differential equations he could probably do partial differential equations.

Solving partials is typically a lot harder.

[Kidlicious]

Solving partials is typically a lot harder.

Well yeah. That's why you teach him differential equations first.

[Jon Miller]

So your argument is that all tests involving intelligence are bad because IQ tests suck.

Gotcha.

That's stupid.

I said that intelligent tests are not very good measures of intelligence. You asked for evidence. I gave you evidence that I could find in 2 seconds.

Balls in your court, show me evidence that intelligence tests are good measures of intelligence.

JM

[Lorizael]

Want to make jokes about PDE-solving primates. Must find solutions to Schrodinger equation instead.

[Sava]

I said that intelligent tests are not very good measures of intelligence. You asked for evidence. I gave you evidence that I could find in 2 seconds.

yeahhhh, you have anything specific to the topic at hand?

Balls in your court, show me evidence that intelligence tests are good measures of intelligence.

Why? That isn't the topic. I've already presented loads of evidence.

You presented something completely irrelevant and are now going off on some tangent.

If you want to make a thread about intelligence tests, go ahead.

My personal opinion on the effectiveness on measuring intelligence is irrelevant. And that's just what your statement is... an opinion... backed by little fact.

[self biased]

Wait a minute...you don't mean...AAHZ...no....could he be? I think he could!

so you admit that your original point was ****ty?

[Hauldren Collider]

No, as loath as I am to admit it, AAHZ is vastly more intelligent than even the brightest of nonhuman primates.

[ZEE]

Did you hear that you guise?!?

HC REALLY LIKES ME! He even cKomPlimented me!!

OH YEAH time to AAHZ-celeBrate™

[Aeson]

Intelligence is overrated anyway. Hitler was more intelligent than chimpanzees, but which one would you rather set free into their native habitat?

[kentonio]

Chimps may be more intelligent than they first appear (especially because there is a pretty insurmountable language barrier), but chimps clearly do not have the intellectual capacity that humans do. No chimps solve partial differential equations, build rockets, or argue over the internet (excepting possibly AAHZ). Whether this distinction is significant from a rights perspective is a matter of debate.

Why in their current position would a chimp set out to solve a maths equation, build a rocket or argue over the internet? Put a primitive human in captivity by another species with only the most rudimentary lines of communication between them and see how clever Mr Caveman suddenly seems.

[Elok]

Well, I haven't studied chimp intelligence or anything, but primitive (modern) humans were already using much more advanced tools than chimps today thousands and thousands of years ago. AFAIK chimps use no tools more complex than modified found sticks. Even before the Neolithic revolution we had complex stone tools, atlatls, baskets, clothing, fire, etc. Which is why chimps were restricted to central Africa and we covered most of the world.

[kentonio]

Well, I haven't studied chimp intelligence or anything, but primitive (modern) humans were already using much more advanced tools than chimps today thousands and thousands of years ago. AFAIK chimps use no tools more complex than modified found sticks. Even before the Neolithic revolution we had complex stone tools, atlatls, baskets, clothing, fire, etc. Which is why chimps were restricted to central Africa and we covered most of the world.

I would certainly expect that our species is more intelligent, but it seems pretty much beyond question at this point that chimps are a highly intelligent species with extremely complex minds and the ability to form complicated social structures. We can even achieve levels of communicate with them that we've never managed with other species. I don't think anyone is advocating that we give them driving licenses and the right to vote, but giving them the right to not be treated like an object to be locked up, mistreated or killed on a whim seems like a pretty reasonable thing to expect. They're one of our closest relatives and if we treat them like ****, what does that say about us?