How inteligent could scorps be?

[mrbonzai211]

Chemoreception.

That would only explain them being able to taste, smell, and sense humidity. It doesn't explain anything other than they have something similar to our 5 senses.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/109023/chemoreception

 

[Aztek]

They smell their way back with a trail they leave.

 

[talljosh003]

scorpions give off a scent?

 

[reverendsterlin]

can we define anthromorphizing :wall: , J/K ;P they are smart enough to eat, mate (at least some), fight (shoot starting to sound like a man isn't it), dig a burrow, feel vibrations, differentiate chemical scent, and die, beyond that none to smart I'd say.
Rev

 

[crpy]

sorry but i just gotta give my opinion.

Scorps and the like have...ganglion...not a brain. We cannot equate this as similar to a human brain as far as "smart". Active/reactive for scorps and the like is more like it.

 

[Aztek]

scorpions give off a scent?

Yup.
That's what their pectines are for.
You thought they where there to let us know what sex they are?

 

[talljosh003]

Yup.
That's what their pectines are for.
You thought they where there to let us know what sex they are?

yeah basically haha and to sense vinrations... but even if they supposedly have no intelliegence, then why do they eventually learn that they cant walk through glass ie: emps stop "glass-dancing" after a period of time? IMO i think they are smarter than we give them credit for, i mean not like an ape or a dog or anything of that sort, but i think they are brighter than we think

 

[vtecgsr]

I had a post like this one a couple years back..

My emperor would rush over to the water dish when i would pour water in immediately like a dog haha..

I also noticed everytime i fed him pinky mice it would do the same exact thing.. Climp the nose as if to cut off breathing... hmmmm

 

[coffin pest]

I think it was Rene Descartes who, when writing about pseudo-intelligence in nature (when the word itself should really be reserved for more cerebral animals), used the bee as a paradigm.
Scorpions are enchanting because they are equipped with such sophisticated and acute mechano-sensory and chemo-sensory faculties. And while I myself marvel at this I know not to, as someone earlier in this thread put it, "anthropomorphize" these wonderous specimens. They're somewhat complex as far as arachnids go, but not sentient.

 

[crpy]

I think it was Rene Descartes who, when writing about pseudo-intelligence in nature (when the word itself should really be reserved for more cerebral animals), used the bee as a paradigm.
Scorpions are enchanting because they are equipped with such sophisticated and acute mechano-sensory and chemo-sensory faculties. And while I myself marvel at this I know not to, as someone earlier in this thread put it, "anthropomorphize" these wonderous specimens. They're somewhat complex as far as arachnids go, but not sentient.

dang, very eloquently put:clap:

 

[coffin pest]

Thanks crpy.

 

[signinsimple]

I don't see how people can deny the possibility of intelligence in scorpions (or any other creatures for that matter). I think these kind of debates are spurred by miscommunication or equivocation on the definition of intelligence (ability to display complex behavior?..problem solving?..creative thought?) No one can definitively say whether scorpions are conscious or not, and depending on your definition of sentience, they can be viewed as sentient animals. Webster's says sentient is "responsive to or conscious of sense impressions". Scorpions are definitely responsive. Anyone who claims to have a definitive answer on whether they are conscious, does not know what they are talking about. All we can do is study their behavior, the different physical and chemical interactions going on in their bodies, and make conjectures. We cannot experience scorpionhood, and so cannot say if they have thoughts or not. The assumption that a scorpions ganglion could not possibly give them anything other than programmed robot like action seems silly to me. We just don't know that. Scorpions are organic, robots are not. And it does not have to be the case that because a ganglion is more simple than a brain, it cannot allow for some level of thought.

From my experience, scorpions are more intelligent than crickets, but I couldn't say I'm positive. I say that because it's generally agreed that predators are smarter than prey (or else they generally wouldn't be able to catch them) and a cricket will go into a hole, almost get nabbed by a scorp, run away, and then go right back in the same hole they almost died in 5 seconds earlier. That is severely stupid. Scorpions don't do stupid things like that.

 

[skinheaddave]

I think these kind of debates are spurred by miscommunication or equivocation on the definition of intelligence (ability to display complex behavior?..problem solving?..creative thought?)

Agreed. This thread is a fantastic example of people talking past each other due to different interpretations of the words being used. Oddly enough, every single other thread along these lines (and if you do a search you will see there are plenty) tend to go the same way.

Webster's says sentient is "responsive to or conscious of sense impressions". Scorpions are definitely responsive.

You need to re-read the definition you are providing. The definition was not simply that the organisms responds to stimuli. If that is the case, then all life including the sort of debatable ones (prions etc.) are sentient and the word loses all meaning. Basically sentience revolves around being able to look inwards on yourself. Pulling our hands back from a burning stove does not indicate sentience. Worrying about whether or not it will scar or if the pain will throw you off at work does. So a scorpion responding to stimuli (pain, vibrations) doesn't make it sentient. A scorpion learning (navigating back to a burrow, learning that it cannot go a certain direction) doesn't indicate sentience either. All arthropods can both respond to stimuli and adapt their responses over time. To show sentience, you would have to demonstrate that a scorpion is self-aware.

And it does not have to be the case that because a ganglion is more simple than a brain, it cannot allow for some level of thought.

You had better define "thought" in this case. If you mean it can do more than very basic processing then yes, this is sort of the point of a ganglion. They allow for more involved data integration and processing than the peripheral nerves.

Scorpions don't do stupid things like that.

Don't they? I've certainly seen some bonehead plays by scorpions over the years. Young Einsteins they ain't.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Necrobyheart]

We once figured that goldfish had extremely short attention spans, however certain studies, have proved that to be wrong, for a decent short read article visit (yes it does not go into much detail, but still.)http://nootropics.com/intelligence/smartfish.html

I'm not trying to sit here, and say that scorpions feel, this or that or even that they are all that intelligent, and I do realize that pointing out a goldfish is like comparing apples, to bananas, however I am saying that this could be a case, very similiar.

I sure as heck, do not know and chances are most of you guys do not have a clue, either we just have a thought in our head going either way on this, subject.

 

[talljosh003]

We once figured that goldfish had extremely short attention spans, however certain studies, have proved that to be wrong, for a decent short read article visit (yes it does not go into much detail, but still.)http://nootropics.com/intelligence/smartfish.html

I'm not trying to sit here, and say that scorpions feel, this or that or even that they are all that intelligent, and I do realize that pointing out a goldfish is like comparing apples, to bananas, however I am saying that this could be a case, very similiar.

I sure as heck, do not know and chances are most of you guys do not have a clue, either we just have a thought in our head going either way on this, subject.

did u see the goldfish experiment on myth busters?

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

It's God's gift to His creation. By the way, you want to see intelligence, get a Preying Mantis.

David

I have kept my fair share of mantises and have never seen any sign of intelligence.

And to the original poster(OP for short for tuture reference), that sounds incredible.

 

[talljosh003]

i think scorps wouldnt be as smart as mantises though...

 

[mrbonzai211]

Just wanted to see what you guys would think this behavior adds to the debate: http://gregladen.com/wordpress/?p=489

 

[Malcara]

scorpions give off a scent?

Their fins drop a pheramone they can navigate around the same way ants do. They seek out mates this way to, and it's even been speculated that they may even mark teritory. either that or scorps remember whose hide is whose.

 

[talljosh003]

Their fins drop a pheramone they can navigate around the same way ants do. They seek out mates this way to, and it's even been speculated that they may even mark teritory. either that or scorps remember whose hide is whose.

that makes a lot of sense