News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other.

Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by valarauca1 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @01:33PM (#15059317)
Prediction:

As we start to approach a true AI, I have a feeling a side effect will begin to understand there multiple sentient organisms we simply dismissed due to _some_ standard.

Much like how earth retreated from the center of the universe, to just a wet rock orbiting a slightly above average brightness yellow dwarf.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by maxxxxx on Sunday August 20, 2017 @03:09PM (#15059788)
I think time will be a major factor. We probably would have trouble recognizing intelligence that operates on time spans of millions of years.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by ddebernardy on Sunday August 20, 2017 @03:30PM (#15059876)
One big standard is the ability to recognize oneself in a mirror and, insofar as I'm aware, humans are the only ones who have yet to pass it consistently. (Perhaps a few great apes have done so since.)
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by hacker_9 on Sunday August 20, 2017 @03:54PM (#15059967)
No? The 'mirror test' has been passed by a range of animals, including apes, elephants and dolphins.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by seszett on Sunday August 20, 2017 @04:03PM (#15060004)
But anyway it's obviously meaningless when we're talking about plants.

Blind humans cannot recognize themselves in a mirror either, but it doesn't mean anything about their sentience.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by rectangletangle on Sunday August 20, 2017 @04:32PM (#15060120)
It becomes further confused when animals like dogs are introduced into the equation. They fail the visual mirror test, primarily because vision isn't their primary sense.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by anfractuosity on Sunday August 20, 2017 @04:22PM (#15060086)
There's also a paper regarding the mirror test and ants - http://www.journalofscience.net/File_Folder/521-532(jos).pdf
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by sebleon on Sunday August 20, 2017 @05:31PM (#15060346)
Why is this a big standard for sentience? Seems like a silly, contrived test.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other by taneq on Sunday August 20, 2017 @11:48PM (#15061787)
Because it's something that we thought only humans can do. Of course, we've now replaced it with something else that we think only humans can do.
[ Parent | on HN ]