this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2024
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Today I Learned (TIL)

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/PunnyBanana on 2024-04-26 16:20:00.

Original Title: TIL A group of horses were trained to communicate whether they wanted a jacket. All horses in the group successfully communicated that they did want a jacket when it was cold and did not want a jacket when it was hot.

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[–] SterlingVapor@slrpnk.net 2 points 6 months ago

I think it is obvious to a lot of people, but still worthwhile

First, the idea "humans are super special" is deeply ingrained in our science and cultures. It's dying a very slow death, and each new study like this further shifts how we see nonhuman life, and ourselves

Second, studying how to establish mutual communication with animals is how we learn to do it better. Coming up with efficient training methods to teach communication is useful in a practical way

This is a small step with unsurprising results, but it's a small step forward