(2020-09-12, 04:42 PM)nbtruthman Wrote: I think that (as Psi has pointed out), the instinctive use by some animals of some simple numbers for personal and group survival is fundamentally different than the human mental grasp of the abstract concepts of numbers and beyond that, abstract mathematical concepts like Pi, square root, e, etc. etc., and going into high level math. I don't think any animal is capable of abstract thought, and abstract thought is not in some sort of evolvable continuum with the simple use of numbers by some animals. Abstract thought is of an existentially, fundamentally different nature and is unique to humans.
Thinking about it wouldn't whales/dolphins (just for example) be capable of abstract thought?
![[-]](https://psiencequest.net/forums/images/collapse.png)