If birds bother you, stay away from this TED Talk. That means you, Robyn. But honestly, even though this video is a bit of a departure from the inspiring and creatively astounding videos I normally choose, I think this video has an amazing message of the value of an inquisitive mind. As Joshua Klein states, we focus on the endangered animals around us, the ones who struggle to survive, and feel empathy. But what of the animals around us who are growing and adapting in the same manner as human beings. Yes, I am talking about Crows. Hacker and writer Joshua Klein is fascinated by crows. (Notice the gleam of intelligence in their little black eyes?) After a long amateur study of corvid behavior, he's come up with an elegant machine that may form a new bond between animal and human.
I love your series, Farren. What a good idea. The one thing that bothered me about this idea was that he was only thinking of ways crows can help people - seems a little homo-centric to me.
Definitely homo-centric, but so is killing them for things like eating a pet's food and tearing up garbage bags. Crows (and magpies) are incredibly smart birds, and to see people hate them because they inconvenience us drives me crazy. This would be a project that could be mutually beneficial; the birds help us, and we provide a meal that hasn't been extracted from last week's rotting garbage. hahaha :)
I love your series, Farren. What a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that bothered me about this idea was that he was only thinking of ways crows can help people - seems a little homo-centric to me.
Definitely homo-centric, but so is killing them for things like eating a pet's food and tearing up garbage bags. Crows (and magpies) are incredibly smart birds, and to see people hate them because they inconvenience us drives me crazy. This would be a project that could be mutually beneficial; the birds help us, and we provide a meal that hasn't been extracted from last week's rotting garbage. hahaha :)
ReplyDelete