Xref: utzoo sci.psychology:214 rec.birds:531 sci.bio:1081
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From: hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology,rec.birds,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Intelligent Parrots, or Self-deception and Gullibility.
Message-ID: <2282@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 11 Apr 88 18:22:42 GMT
References: <1988Mar4.162334.18184@utzoo.uucp> <4299@blia.BLI.COM> <1988Mar9.132722.3364@mntgfx.mentor.com> <2495@geac.UUCP> <2535@saturn.ucsc.edu> <762@actnyc.UUCP> <2231@ttidca.TTI.COM> <2550@geac.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 20

In article <2550@geac.UUCP> sigrid@geac.UUCP (Sigrid Grimm) writes:
>In article <2231@ttidca.TTI.COM> hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
>>above the level of insect.  The following example ...
>
>I also recall a couple of years ago seeing something on TVO regarding hardwired
>behaviour in cats. The deal was that they figured *walking* is hardwired 
>into a cat because they can stimulate a part of the cat's brain and the cat 
>will walk. ...

I'm beginning to see that "hard-wired" is a poor choice of metaphor when
dealing with the brain.  In a sense, the brain programs itself by changing
its "wiring", so anything it does can be called hard-wired.  I think the
original intent was to define instinct as behaviors hard-wired at birth,
requiring no further training.  The nature of the brain is such that
proper stimulus may elicit a learned behavior.

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@TTI.COM)   Illegitimati Nil
Citicorp(+)TTI                                           Carborundum
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