Month: October 2023

Overall, in the videos I watched, I learned about animal intelligence in a variety of animals, including dogs, dolphins, monkeys, etc. In these videos, researchers in one test dolphins to see if they can recognize themselves in a mirror. Their change of behavior suggests that they understand they are looking at a reflection of themselves. Another talks about how certain animals, including dogs and monkeys, will deceive humans and other animals. This suggests that not only are they capable of complex thoughts, but that they understand others have complex thoughts as well. Another video talks about how worms are similar to humans in that they will test a number of different ways to get a leaf into a hole in the group, similar to how a human may try to fit a couch through a doorway. Another video talks about how one species of crows has the same intelligence of a 7 year old. All of these videos taught me that animals are much more intelligent than I had previously thought. They are able to analyze and solve complex problems, along with recognizing other animals and their own reflection. It was very interesting to see comparisons and similarities between how animals act and solve problems to how humans do.

Response: I watched a YouTube video called “Dogs Can Smell Cancer”. It is discussed in the video how dogs spend more time watching humans than any other animal. Many dogs have a strong sense of connection with their owners and the humans they live with because they are very social creatures. They have the ability to read the body language of humans and can sense what is coming before it actually happens, such as how they express that they know they are going for a walk before the wonder actually decides that themselves. It is described in the video how a dog, Max, changed his mood and acted depressed and less energetic towards his owner because he sensed that he had cancer. Once his owner was treated for her cancer, his behavior drastically changed. It is explained that dogs can smell the tiny volatile chemicals given off by cancerous tumors, and with training they can accurately pick out a cancerous patient from a group of patients from a selection of urine samples. They can also sense when blood sugar levels are getting low and alert people before an allergic reaction happens. The main ideas from this video are that dogs have incredible capabilities when it comes to helping people because they have a sense of connection with humans and are very intelligent creatures. They can be trained to use their senses in helpful ways. They also try to communicate things to their owners every day of their lives and can often warn them before something happens. They can be very useful in the medical world, as well as to dog owners in general.

Thesis:  Dogs are very social and intelligent creatures that can save lives. They are keen observers that can sense what is coming before it happens and they have abilities to sense diseases such as cancer, when blood sugar levels are low, or when a person is about to have an allergic reaction. They can be trained to be of service to humans in the medical world, along with the services they provide to their owners every day.

Downtown Samek Art Museum

Paul Villinski – Soaring