Thread

Weeping whales: Stillborn humpback whale grieving documented

243 points · 192 comments · wglb

georgemcbay · 1789884732 · focus · HN ↗
Blows my mind that so many people just have this hardened internalized idea that we're somehow significantly different than any other animal.
Sure, we've got them beat on language and planning, but we're currently in the process of being passed up on both those fronts by multi-dimensional arrays of floating point numbers sitting inside of sand. So, like, how special is that then, really?
1. JumpCrisscross · 1789889159 · focus · HN ↗
  > Blows my mind that so many people just have this hardened internalized idea that we're somehow significantly different than any other animal
  There are hard-asses on both ends. We are different from other animals. To me, that results in us having more moral agency for our actions. It also means recognising that we share this world with other beings, including billions of people, a tool-wielding sapience categorically distinct within the ecosystem.
  1. phoghed · 1789937186 · focus · HN ↗
    > We are different from other animals
    Most animals are different from most others, we're just different enough to feel that we're somehow special.
    nsonha · 1789951787 · focus · HN ↗
    The difference is similar to that of people with insane net worth to normal people. You have lots of leverage to do globally impactful things (positive or otherwise). You're there by lining up a long series of met conditions, not by virtues only.

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.