Can We “Think” Outside of Our Consciousness?
Snipped from the Blog.SCIAM.com.
This article was really interesting to me for many reasons. One, I think any new discovery about the brain is REALLY cool. I don’t think that needs much explanation. Second, I have noticed a very strange way that I process information in comparison to that of “normal” people. Not that I am a genius or anything, ha ha, but I do tend to “think” outside my “consciousness”. My problem solving is more like a reaction than a act of “thinking”. If that confuses you even further, let me give you a story that led me to this strange conclusion.
Below is an article snipped from Scientific American, and it discusses a new finding called blindsight. This is a phenomenon that has been recently discovered, and it explains how people that are blind due to an injury to their visual cortex may actually be able to see without knowing it. Sounds strange? Here is some of the article to help you understand it:
When can you see what you can’t see? When you have blindsight, a “condition,” says the Oxford Concise Dictionary, “in which the sufferer responds to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them.” Here vision researcher Susana Martinez-Conde describes how a man named DB perceives flickering Gabor patches (see illustration above) much more accurately and consistently in his “blind” eye than in his sighted eye — even though he denies ever seeing anything with the blind eye. Sacksian stuff here; read it and wonder. …
Astonishingly, DB performed better in his blind field than in his sighted field, and by a wide margin. He correctly identified the time span containing the stimulus 87 percent of the time in his blind field as opposed to only 50 percent of the time in his sighted field — a rate consistent to that he would achieve if he were guessing. …
An interesting aside concerns DB’s reports of subjective awareness during the experiments. In Experiment 1, DB was asked to report any feelings of subjective awareness of the stimuli, or lack thereof, after each stimulus presentation. He reported no awareness of stimuli presented to the sighted field (confirming that he was essentially guessing), but he had subjective awareness of 80 percent of stimuli presented to the blind field. However, this subjective awareness was nothing like a visual experience; he denied having any experience of vision in his blind field, but described his subjective awareness of stimuli as “feeling as if a finger is pointing through the screen.”
Okay, now that you are aware of what I am talking about [pun intended], what if we could all process information outside of our consciousness? Does our consciousness muck up our decision making? Does it create an emotional bias? Can we train the mind to “think” outside our “awareness”, so that we can “think” faster and more efficiently just as DB has done above? Let’s think about this … okay, now without “thinking” about it!
If you would like to read the full article click the image below.
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A really fascinating article which gives me a jump-off to what? Daydreams? How about when I fashion a daydream, am I thinking outside of my awareness? I am aware of my surroundings. Your thoughts, Unum.
I met a friend’s aunt who lived in New Britain, Conn. and get this? She was retired and had worked for an insurance company since h.s. — for 50 years! I said to her, “Working for an insurance company sounds boring. How could you stand it for 50 years?”
My friend’s aunt who seemed highly intelligent told me she had a secret. “Oh, what was the secret?” She smiled, said: “I worked by habits. I got an office chore down to where it could be done without thinking and would put myself outside of the office chore. I broke everything down into mini-habits and linked them together, according to that day’s assignments. My work day was over in five minutes, like, and I left the insurance office refreshed. It was like I had never been there. Day to day, habit to habit to habit, with a great many linked habits, and that’s how it went for 50 years.”
I have paraphrased into dialogue what I remember her telling me. I have tried something like linked-habits but could never make it work. //what about a golfer doing 18 links on the golf course? — wouldn’t that be linked habits? As he talks biz. Wouldn’t that qualify as an example?// Am I on the mark? Or off the mark?
Maybe I didn’t read the article carefully enough to understand the concept? //What about the blindspot everyone has in each eye? Does a baby learn to “see” thru their two blind-spots?//
It seems we have one-track minds, like computers have. And can only think one thing at a time. I do believe my two examples belong under Unum’s article, even though the aunt example is a reversal somewhat but I’m a bit aware of things while daydreaming. I don’t have any idea what my friend’s aunt did or thought outside of her consciousness. I didn’t ask. It would be of value to hear from other b4b readers with their examples.
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GOOD GRIEF, MIGHTY GAWK! — What a gawk squawk! The author of the above article is Cerebral! NOT Unum! Oh no. I-T//I-S//C-E-R-E-B-R-A-L. This is the second time I have made this mistake. O woe is me! Sorry, Cerebral…I guess I now owe you two. //the first I-owe-you-one was when I asked you to drop my dangerous lunchbox comment as I requested, and which you did// Okay, I owe you one plus one equals…Stanley owes you two. Gawk, you dumb goose! Where were you when I needed you? Forgive me, Cerebral. -SWAK.
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That is quite alright Stan, and to be grammatically correct, it is woe as I. Ha ha, sorry, that was some geek humor for you.
Anyways, you thoughts on habits is quite correct. It is similar to driving. When you have been driving for decades, you become less and less “aware” of all the hundreds of small decisions you make to get from A to B (gas, brake, clutch, signal, minding traffic signs). Your mind starts becoming more efficient at processing all the bits of information outside of your awareness. So yes, you are paralleling what I have written about above.
That is the beauty of being able to think outside your consciousness; you are able to free your consciousness up for other tasks as you can only be fully aware of one thought at a time, but your mind can have many processes going on in the background.
Thanks for the funny comments. Take care Stan.
Cerebral
Hey, Cerebral — O Woe is me! / How down is me! = How depressed I am…What troubles I suffer…. Nevertheless, your Geek humorous slant on this is ________? //To be honest, I didn’t get it//
Do you think combat soldiers function 24/7/365 in “the ‘thinking’ outside of your consciousness” state? How dangerous can that be? What happens when a strong emotion breaks thru the glass separator that relates to one’s “thinking” part? …and this happens at that split moment when Wham, Slam, Bang, Mam. And Zap! And the guy turns into garbage? Could it be related to one, or related to both states simultaneously?
Or, does the combat soldier do both “each state entirely focused up?” Does the guy jump back and forth from his or her one state to the other state, instantly. Result: a split personality, or really a multi-personality psych disability for him or for her still left over to deal with after leaving their service? Is this actually what is known as post traumatic stress? //something of which I know nothing about at all//
Also, do daydreaming and/or just dreaming while asleep fit into this concept?
Thanks Cerebral for the thought-provoking article.
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Hey Stan. As far as the ‘woe is I’, if you were to be grammatically perfect, when you are the subject of the sentence, the correct pronoun is I and not me. Now if you were the object, as in part of the predicate, the correct pronoun selection would be me. Like I said, it was meant to be a joke, but obviously a bad one.
As far as the soldiers, I think it is part of a psychological survival that you have to remove yourself from such actions. The problem is it secretly attacks your consciousness and can be a silent killer (no pun intended).
As far as the thought provocation, you are welcome. I absolutely love thought experiments. Take care Stan.
Cerebral
Well, well, I say, Cerebral, grammar has nothing to do with “O woe is me!” It is part of an old vaudeville comedy routine. I sometimes use the same sentence structure with a different emotional word. Like “O stupid is me!” I don’t remember the whole routine. The comedian, Red Skeleton /sp?/ used lots of these old routines but updated them. And he used bits, phrases, from old routines on his TV show. I think that I might have gotten the “O woe is me!” from Red Skeleton.
Here’s a famous old vaudeville comedy routine that was done by Abbott and Costello /sp?/, The “Niagara falls” routine or called “the step by step” routine. It’s not word perfect. It’s as I remember it. Go…
A: What’s wrong, Lou?
C: A guy stole my girl friend. It was the most horrible thing that ever happened to me. I can’t get lt out of my mind.
A: Where did this happen?
C: I don’t want to name the place. It hurts too much, Abbott. I try to keep it to myself so it won’t hurt anybody else.
A: Say, I know where it happened. Didn’t you just get back from Niagara Falls?”
C: NIAGARA FALLS! As I slowly turn, step by step…step by step…
A: Hey, what’s this?
C: Step by step… WHAM! SLAM! BANG! aaaaaaa!, Whomp! Whomp! aaaaah! Waaa-Hoo!! //Costello beats his hat, his fists against Abbott. Abbott finally gets him to settle down//
A: Gee, Lou, I’m sorry I mentioned Niagara Falls.
C: NIAGARA FALLS! As I slowly turn, step by step…
A: Oh no! Lou, Lou, Lou! WHAM! SLAM! BANG! aaaaaaa!, Whomp! Whomp! Chomp!aaaaah! Waaa-Hoo!!
Their routine loops over and over. Each time Abbott says”Niagara Falls’ he gets clobbered by Castello until Abbott gets him calmed down. Only to do the loop again, and again.
You could say, for example, to a cop, “Authority figures anger me so much that, AS SLOWLY I turn, step by step…step by step //turn toward the target guy //someone other than a cop with a gun// and start advancing on him//OR//try it on a dog //I don’t think it’s a good idea to try this on a pit bull//Go…
…Stoop down and spread your arms wide and advance at the dog, crab-like. “Woof, Woof! As slowly I turn, step by step…step by step…step by step….”
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Ohhh Woe…!
I see Stan creating havoc again. I don’t care if it was Cerebral or Unum … my brain can’t keep the two separate anyway. Too busy concentrating on the reading.
There’s so much more to brain research that people are unaware of, until they have an injury that is. You get educated. But even the scientists know very little.
The brain adapts to injuries, even body injuries. Those neurons keep moving … hopefully.
The conscious thought processes DO limit what a person’s brain is capable of though. If you think you can’t, you won’t, and it won’t happen because the neurons will establish a pathway supporting that.
However, if you THINK you can, and allow it, and wait … you probably will succeed or know why you didn’t.
I’m TBI so lots of opinions on brains, even other than my own…
hehehe
Which is why I prefer a nick made of numbers and not letters. Much more practical.
I am one of the regular readers.
But this is just my first comment to your blog, and
sorry for distrubing by posting this comment
which subject is not direcly concerned to your post.
Just asking Help. HELP!!
“OUR CUNNING MILITARY Government is killing his people and
showing fake evidence by using armed force and saying skyful of lies to UN and World.
Pls help in revealing the truth as you can.
PLEASE KINDLY HELP BURMA, MYANMAR!
http://agamsgecko.blogspot.com/
(and pls kindly check Myanmar websites)
http://www.dvb.no
http://soneseayar.blogspot.com/
http://niknayman.blogspot.com (pls check CBox Eng Version)
http://burmanews.cbox.ws/”
Regards,
The Cerebrospinal fluid of the brain needs more research. Here’s my own theory on how the brain works. [I’ll use brackets for my theory parts] //and slashes for my comments// The rest as plain text is from research that can be duplicated.
The spaces within the brain and the center cord space of the spine are filled with Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the flow of each is channeled into the other. The Lymph system is a shadow of the blood system. [The CSF in its closed system is a ghost of the blood system.] //you are what you eat//
There are many sugars and one particular sugar has the property of lining up ions ( ions and - ions). Evidence of this certain sugar can be found in one’s CSF. Common table salt (Sodium Chloride has the same property of lining up ions.
A primitive demonstration for what follows on how the brain transmits data is this:
Part 1) Take a large empty glass lab jar or plastic bucket. Fill with water. Then make an unfinished circuit: split an electric cord, install light socket and light bulb at one end. Take the other split wire cord that was cut and put its end with wires exposed into other side of water jar. Plug into live electrical outlet. Put the other end with the light bulb on other side of the glass jar of plain water. RESULT: unlit bulb. Because of broken circuit. Now, unplug from live electrical outlet.
Part 2) Add common table salt to water in jar — you are rearranging ions in the water when salt dissolves (salt is sodium chloride with its sodium and choride ions.) So now that the salt was added, it lines up the ions in the water and the circuit is completed even with missing gap between the wire ends. Plug into live electric outlet. Gap is in salted water, and rearranged ions in water complete the circuit and RESULTS: bulb lights. Unplug cord from outlet.
WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH WATER IN GLASS LAB JAR OR TOUCH WATER IN PLASTIC BUCKET while the one wire is plugged into live electrical outlet or else, ZAP! The bulb lit up because you lined up the ions in the water via table salt. //NA CL2 I think there are 2 negative chloride ions attached to 1 positive sodium ions. [A similar thing goes on in the CSF with a certain form of sugar with the property to align the ions in the brain/spinal cord to make circuits.]
[The CS fluid does contain one natural sugar of a particular molecular structure. The ions in the CSF ( and -) are either up (I) or positioned (–) or every-which-way. For a thought-bit (neurotransmitters) to reach from one nerve ending to another, it has to cross the snapsis which is the gap. I say it does NOT jump! The brain is electrical; there must be a ‘solid’ wire (pathway). What happens is that this certain special sugar is utilized from a minimal amount to a maximum amount and has the chemical property to LINE UP in a way — and in better ways — that creates laid-out “wires” for completed circuits.] //Are you following this?//
[And the messages from one nerve terminal to another, no matter where located in the brain, travel along this ion grid while it is set (jelled) by the sugar’s action upon the CSF’s ions. How strong the gird depends on the sugar’s concentration.] A certain sugar with the ion lining-up properties does exist.
[The brain cannot OD on this sugar because every solution has a certain level where anything added cannot exceed the no-more-dissolve limit. The CSF is no different. And the garbage-collector Lymph system takes away any excess sugar.] New fluid is added to the CSF excreted from the Springs of Magellan located near the top of the brain.
My theory raises all kinds of questions, may solve other problems //Such a question as: Does one really need sleep? or just needs to replenish this special sugar in their CSF?//
One cannot copyright ideas, per se. Nevertheless,
the above excerpt is from my notes for an unfinished SF novel (working title: Bug Soldiers) which is why I’ve tagged this comment with:
copyright © 2007 by Stanley G. Nodvik
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Dangerous Error - In the above demonstration, there are two wires inside an electrical cord. With a lamp, they made a circuit when plugged into electrical outlet. For the demo, YOU DO NOT CUT BOTH WIRES AND INSERT INTO WATER. JUST ONE WIRE. Skin the cord’s outer shield back and you’ll see two wires inside. The experimental gap is to be between ends of one cut wire. Say, one is coded in a red shield, the other in a white shield. Then you keep one wire, say the red one, uncut. The white one you cut.
And insert end of white wire from lamp into water; and its other cut end (white) from the water to the electrical outlet. Red wire remains intact. Each end of white wire at opposite ends of water lab jar. With gap between them. You will need to skin more from large outer shield to expose enough lengths of wires. Sorry, but I haven’t set this demo up for 50 years and I just remember something — the above correct to-do. -30-
If a monk falls in the forest, and there’s no one to hear the deadly crash, is there still the sound of a monk falling?? Check out Thant Zin’s comment.
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If you prayed to God to save a monk, one single monk, and God answered: “Cool, and I’ll go with you to save him,” what would you do?
Please see above comment and request by Thant Zin. Yes, by Gawk!
-eoj-
If you prayed to God to save a monk, one single monk, and God answered: “Cool, and I’ll go with you to save him,” what would you do?
Please see above comment and request by Thant Zin. Yes, by Gawk!
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A monk, a rabbi, a priest, a preacher, a reverend…me too, you too!
-Please see above comment re Burma and request by Thant Zin.
I TM’ed every day, my time out, alone I was never alone.
Om ne patra…Om ne patra…Om ne patra…One one eleven….
-Check out the above comment re Burma and request by Thant Zin.
I was God until
I was shut in with
27 other God damned guys.
-Please see earlier comment re Burma and request by Thant Zin.
The Funniest Jokes are created outside the mind-box; Can you come up with a funniest one? Here’s one from everything2.com:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says: “Calm down, I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: “OK, now what?”
Or have you heard a “funniest Joke in the world?” What is it?
To read about the funniest joke in the world, click on:
http://www.Polishjokes@everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=146529
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Joke — A man leads a goose by a leash into a bar. After the bartender serves them both drinks, the man tickles beneath the goose’s neck, and “Gwak!” out plops an egg. “She lays eggs of gold,” the man tells the bartender, “and that one pays for our drinks. Keep it warm and it’ll hatch into gold.” “No way, pal,” the bartender says. “I’m already sitting on two eggs now, and they ain’t hatched yet! That’ll be six dollars!”
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It’s time, It’s time, Last call. Last call now. It’s time. We’re closing the country!
…Please see comment and request by Thant Zin in the above comments. Thank you!
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ROFLMAO!
Stan, you get me every time, so this one is just for you. It’s also for anyone else who enjoys a good laugh as well. But I sincerely believe Stan may actually need this one to fill his quota of good “jokes.”
On-line Orgasmic Simulation.
http://img.tapuz.co.il/forums/20208414.htm
Hey, 127001 I’m curious as hell, but, by Gawk, I’m not even going to attempt to go there! Hey, 127001 I’m curious as hell, but, by Gawk, I’m not even going to attempt to go there! Hey, 127001 I’m curious as hell, but, by Gawk, I’m not even going to attempt to go there!Hey, 127001 I’m curious as hell, but, by Gawk, I’m not even going to attempt to go there!
Whoops! …I didn’t have both hands on my keyboard. Ahhhh.
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A Joke –As for self-sex, what’s the difference between a vegetarian and anyone else? A vegetarian uses a carrot instead of a dildo.
Awww shucks Stan…
You did try the feminine experience, right?
LOL … both hands on keyboard now.
Oh, oh 127001 — Please, no more recommended porno promos sites. I’ve had enough! My hard drive on my computer can’t get a hardon anymore.
Riddle — What creature (male) crawls into this world; walks on two legs; copulates on five legs; older, walks on two legs; much, much older, walks on three legs. Hint: This riddle adapted from famous classical Greek riddle. What is it? Explain it.
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Stan …
Who recommended a porno site. I’m assuming you didn’t look then.
It’s a Joke! albeit not kind to the more sensitive, ego-driven gentlemen.
I admit it is an “over-18″ site; however, I thought readers here were that at least.
Apologies for the offense.
I say, 127001, I was making a joke. Gotta ya, I guess. I hope.
I say, 127001, Got joke?
Hey 127001, no worries. Everyone is just getting a little out of hand here at Blog4Brains. I think I can speak for most men here and say that the ones that can’t take the joke should toughen themselves up. It is actually really funny. Thanks for the reference.
And as far as being offensive, irreverence is the spice of life, so keep it up. I despise political correctness! Take care and hope to hear from you again.
[Cerebral]
awww fellas…
y’all make my day on a regular basis. just don’t tell the social workers I’ve been here, okay? or passing around the x-rated stuff.
no i’m not nuts, but gee they think i need personal care assistants to make sure I drink the water (and eat the food, which started a battle).
This thread is about thinking outside our consciousness. I believe we do, and even that damage to certain “familiar” areas of the brain causes us to use areas not used by most. Then those of us dependent on the not so familiar areas get labeled (sometimes worse).
I’m a TBI survivor and aphasic (look it up). I’m called stupid by some, smart and eccentric by others … depending whether they move thru life on intellect or “gut and/or groin” …
I’m not offended by anything stan says … Y’all make me laugh and realize there’s a crazy irreverent life out there.
G’day to y’all fellas. Now that’s an aussie mixed with texan accent if i ever heared one!
LOL
Hey, hey 127001, I am glad you had me look up in the dictionary, aphasic, because I thought it was something akin to Viagra™. What can I say but I’m sorry for your condition. Do the MD’s on tour with their first-year med students stop by your place? Charge ‘em admission! Gawk!
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Stan…
You are so funny! I hope you are appreciated IRL.
Oh say, 127001, what is IRL? You have discovered on your own the best way to beat being down, either psych down or circumstances-in-life down, that the best way to keep from offing yourself is to laugh, laugh, laugh, joke, joke, joke.
One of the problems with making up a joke is that to you, it’s funny, but not to others. The problem usually is that one didn’t complete the joke. The funny part, visual or text, is still in your head. You have the complete set and laugh. They don’t because no one can see the funny pivot of the joke that’s still in your head. I don’t know how clear I have made this, but it is a very important and vitial part of joke-writing. I have been writing cartoon gags since the summer of 1960. I kid you not. O funny is me! -SWAK
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Jesus, this conversation is hurting my brain. I have a weird feeling that this conversation could end up hurting someone’s feelings. I just don’t want any of this to get mistranslated. Can we move on to another topic? Sorry to be a party pooper, but I just want to keep everyone in a good mood. Thanks guys.
[Cerebral]
Hmmm…
Stan, m’dear … IRL is “in real life” a common Net term.
You do know what 127001 is? I can’t use the “dots” i.e. 127.0.0.1 because most servers get too confused and reject the nick, but its pointing at the self. It’s every computer’s name that exists.
I rather enjoy the little jokes I pass along these days. In my youth I tried to make sure I had one handy each day. Now that I’ve generally lost my sense of humor, they are fewer and far between. Some humor is lost in the text format; some is lost in the IRL format.
Your irreverence is funny to me, as are some of your assumptions. Funny in a way you make me stop and think in a different direction… Not necessarily “funny” in a joke way.
Have you looked around at the population that is so busy thinking INSIDE the box, they have forgotten they are in a box?
Okay, Cerebral…
EOJ — end of joke.
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The phrase, “I think, therefore I am” is, I guess, an interesting way to prove that one does exist. Yet, wouldn’t “I have consciousness, therefore I am” or “I exist” do as well, or better, to prove existence? How much of a mind is needed to have consciousness? Does a worm have awareness? Dolphins? Whales? Do plants and trees have awareness? Silly, no?
But can we “think” outside of our consciousness? Yes, it was demonstrated by examples in the earlier comments. So maybe what separates man from all others is the ability to “think” outside of consciousness. The other animals and fish have too much to do, perhaps, to maintain consciousness/awareness that they can’t “think.” Hence, the difference between man and beasties. By Gawk, is this Philosophy 101 or what?
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Stan…
I beg to differ. Who says the animals and plants/trees are the beasties?
Or that human communication and consciousness is “better” …
What if…
They are in charge and we are the slaves? IMHO humans are the only ones who think inside the box. Appears other life forms get along fine if we aren’t around.
Yo! 127001, What is IMHO? Plants are not beasties.
Dictionary def: beastie |?b?st?| |?bisti| |?bi?sti|
noun ( pl. -ies) Scottish or humorous
an animal, insect, or germ : our immune systems are killing millions of wee beasties.
• [with adj. ] a vehicle or device of a particular kind : these little beasties only have three wheels.
— Oxford American Dictionary
I can side with your point/queries to ponder in this way. The plants and beasties including man were supposed to be symbolis//sp? — You know, where the birds co-exist with the crocodiles to pick their teeth clean// We beasties which includes the animal man are here to eat, mate, and shat to fertilize the plants who are the rightful rulers of this Earth.
I believe the American Indians knew this. When they taught the very first settlers (white gods, then white devils) how to plant corn, they demonstrated: dig hole, throw in kernels of corn, then throw in a dead fish. Cover hole. Wait.
So you could say we are here to fertilize the plants, the trees, the forests. And that is our o-n-l-y function in life. To live to shat for the green stuff. In return, the green stuff feeds us beasties.
As for awareness in plants, fungi and moss on a tree will seek the north side of the tree to grow upon. I think. This is an early primitive form of a “compass” but something I was told by a forest ranger but never did check it out. If so, then the fungi/moss had awareness.
Ergo….
I agree with you on the who says human communication is better? The above shows that human thinking and awareness may not be better; and the poor condition of the sick earth due to the meddlesome of man verifies that. And I agree that other forms of life would be fine if we were not around. Maybe George W. and Dick can fix that if they hit Iran first. Especially with the Stealth Hydrogen Baboom Bomb. “You have zero seconds to seek–”
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Gosh!
Did I say all that?
IMHO … In My Humble Opinion
Thank you, 127001, about IMHO. By Gawk, you computer geeks and IMers are killing the language!