Post B2b6ReXi7GXATvaq1Y by schizobovine@social.vivaldi.net
(DIR) More posts by schizobovine@social.vivaldi.net
(DIR) Post #B2arTryNehhvOwfOts by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T00:46:03Z
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Defining what is mean by "instinct" and "instinctively" is much much much harder than I think most people realize.It's almost as big of a mess as "natural"
(DIR) Post #B2arzMgrUz8HeAUUEq by rk@mastodon.well.com
2026-01-24T00:51:41Z
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@futurebird I’m always given a sense of…almost supernatural awe at instinctual behavior. Our genes don’t encode all *that* much information. It’s a miracle we can build brains that are this complex with such simple repeated rules. How are instincts encoded into the genes that then encode into the structure of the brain?I’m gonna be clear that I don’t know shit about biology but just from an information-theoretic perspective it’s mind-boggling. I’m not religious but damn sometimes I wonder.
(DIR) Post #B2ask29xeINZaBM4kC by AnarchoWalrus@todon.nl
2026-01-24T01:00:05Z
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@futurebirdThey are very nearly the same mess I think.
(DIR) Post #B2assUvaZbpR7dfVjM by AbyssalRook@mstdn.social
2026-01-24T01:01:39Z
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@futurebird I always just thought it was used as an action that something takes or knowledge someone has that doesn't require conscious thought.We humans might have some things from birth (avoiding bodily waste, recoiling from pain, etc.), but can train ourselves (or be trained) to add to or subtract from that list.
(DIR) Post #B2atP6Y6EaTb4KEIqG by cavyherd@wandering.shop
2026-01-24T01:07:33Z
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@futurebird See also: "intuitive"
(DIR) Post #B2au4gb574fEk7S5PE by Moss@beige.party
2026-01-24T01:15:03Z
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@futurebird hell, even people whose field of expertise includes epigenetics stumble over how to explain or understand it accurately.
(DIR) Post #B2aud4udDR6E08znsG by krnlg@mastodon.social
2026-01-24T01:21:17Z
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@futurebirdI always think - what is emotion but instinct? So really, all the stuff that matters to us - that's instinct when it comes down to it. We share all that important stuff with other animals.
(DIR) Post #B2axU8X8gPF8UKR3Nw by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T01:53:18Z
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@apophis No one has given a definition of nature that isn't either absurd* OR just vibes based. However most definitions of "nature" are BOTH.*including and excluding things that no one would agree makes sense
(DIR) Post #B2ayfytmQlWO2GEmGG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T02:06:40Z
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@AbyssalRook This is how it is used. But, what do we mean by "the weaver bird builds a nest by instinct" One thing we mean that is clear, is that they are not taught how to do this by another bird. But if you watch a bird weave they will solve problems, make adjustments, get better at selecting materials. There is learning within the process.
(DIR) Post #B2az4eat3nVYIjAIEK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T02:11:01Z
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@froge Red isn't as bad since I can show a color just about everyone will agree is red. I can also show "reds" that will start arguments, but there are some reds that are pretty universal. So you can say that red is distributed around these, except when it's contextual. As in "red hair" which is really a warm shade of light brown.
(DIR) Post #B2azIV8Z18Fr1dWIqG by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T02:13:35Z
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@AbyssalRook Sometimes when someone hands me something to fix I can't explain what I'm doing. "I'm fixing it."What is THAT about?
(DIR) Post #B2b0lUW0VZn5RssB3A by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T02:30:01Z
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@xarvos **high pitched whining resumes**
(DIR) Post #B2b4ulHfvn8DsZqSlU by schizobovine@social.vivaldi.net
2026-01-24T03:16:34Z
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@froge @futurebird red is something where you MIGHT be able to get away with something like “photons between 600 and 700nm” (thereabouts)Pink or purple, on the other hand…good luck!
(DIR) Post #B2b6ReXi7GXATvaq1Y by schizobovine@social.vivaldi.net
2026-01-24T03:33:42Z
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@futurebird @froge Also, while you might get agreement on defining what red is, you’re still going to get disagreements where people disagree on if a particular color is red, even when everyone agrees on the definition. Color blindness is at play, and other more subtle genetic differences.And then there was The Dress, where we found that nearby colors profoundly affect our perception of color.
(DIR) Post #B2bPP1hzQbcMabrWr2 by graydon@canada.masto.host
2026-01-24T07:06:04Z
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@futurebird @AbyssalRook For all of human history we can perceive, "learning how to do the thing" was mostly done by imitation, watching and trying to do the thing yourself.Putting instructions into words, _like words_, is a relatively late, tacked-on thing most people aren't readily able to do well either in terms of writing or reading. (A huge part of school education is about following written instructions, and most adults remain terrible at it.)Words get over-weighted as a thing.
(DIR) Post #B2bp40SLUErNQsBMm0 by mansr@society.oftrolls.com
2026-01-24T11:53:36Z
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@futurebird @AbyssalRook A lot of animals have innate urges that still require learning in order to be carried out. For instance, a human child will instinctively try to walk, but it takes a lot of practice to actually do it. Then there are migratory birds.
(DIR) Post #B2c1dEwEpiurvvjPkm by mansr@society.oftrolls.com
2026-01-24T14:14:27Z
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@futurebird @froge https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20180419-the-words-that-change-the-colours-we-see
(DIR) Post #B2c1x0weZNiSKFM3c0 by mansr@society.oftrolls.com
2026-01-24T14:16:10Z
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@nazokiyoubinbou @futurebird @AbyssalRook Blind children also learn to walk.
(DIR) Post #B2c1x2Czs6NqFE0cj2 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2026-01-24T14:17:59Z
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@mansr @nazokiyoubinbou @AbyssalRook But inferring that people walk around probably doesn't require that you see them doing it. Our built environments suggest walking as a way to interact with them. And going on all fours hurts the back.
(DIR) Post #B2c5DmFmkFUJXvzLE0 by gdupont@framapiaf.org
2026-01-24T14:54:40Z
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@futurebird@AbyssalRook Maybe they also learn by observing others?