
What I Learned from Tickling Apes - pmcpinto
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/opinion/sunday/what-i-learned-from-tickling-apes.html?_r=1
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cLeEOGPw
Problem is that many people feel a desperate need to be special. A thought
that an animal can have same feelings, thoughts and behaviors is terrifying to
them. Especially if that person have been raised in western culture.

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jack9
He learned how to bait people into his views about anthropomorphism.

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proksoup
> Laughter? Now wait a minute! A real scientist should avoid any and all
> anthropomorphism, which is why hard-nosed colleagues often ask us to change
> our terminology. Why not call the ape’s reaction something neutral, like,
> say, vocalized panting? That way we avoid confusion between the human and
> the animal.

These "real scientists" seem very anthropocentric in their rules about not
anthropomorphizing animals.

I feel like he's attacking a straw man ... I'd rather hear more about these
anthropocentric real scientists he's railing against, his railing isn't doing
much for me without context.

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evv555
For some context do a search for "infant surgery without anesthesia".
Allegedly infant surgeries were routinely done without anesthesia into the
70's. It was believed babies do not really feel pain and we are just
anthropomorphizing their reflexive responses. Anthropomorphization is a real
phenomena that needs to be taken into account but so is the use of skepticism
as a tool for rationalizing established beliefs.

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pvaldes
> It was believed babies do not really feel pain

Or maybe it was because too many anesthesia can easily kill a baby and the
other option was seen as safer and better for his/her life. Not all in the
history of the humanity is necessarily related with the new painphobia wave.

In any case that history about paralized babies and evil surgeons seems
entirely or mostly faked to me, telled in the most truculent way possible to
elicit a visceral reaction and attract donors or gain social cookies.

