From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!torn!utcsri!rutgers!apple!apple!mips.mitek.com!spssig.spss.com!markrose Tue Jun 23 13:21:22 EDT 1992
Article 6326 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: The Turing Test is not a Trick
Message-ID: <1992Jun19.221246.43538@spss.com>
Date: 19 Jun 92 22:12:46 GMT
References: <1992Jun18.164543.42825@spss.com> <502@tdat.teradata.COM> <1992Jun19.153904.9560@mp.cs.niu.edu>
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In article <1992Jun19.153904.9560@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu 
(Neil Rickert) writes:
>  Given that we evolved through non-linguistic species, I believe we
>will understand our intelligence far better if we concentrate on
>understanding the non-linguistic parts of it.  That forms the foundation
>on top of which language was constructed.

Yes, well put.  

>>Would humor be a universal amoung intelligent beings?  Or is it a particular
>>higher primate adaption to dealing with conceptual dissonance?
>
>  Many mammals are capable of being quite playful at times.  Humor of some
>sort might be a mammalian characteristic, and not just restricted to
>primates.  On the other hand birds do not seem nearly as playful, so
>perhaps humor need not be a universal requirement for intelligence.

Konrad Lorenz described flying activities among jackdaws which he 
characterized as purely playful in intention.  He also notes that jackdaws
are among the most intelligent of birds.

There may well be a correlation between play/humor and intelligence...
but not a necessary connection; consider Jesse Helms.


