IUBio

New Scientist Piece Reviewed:Limit to Brain Size

"Uncle Al" Schwartz UncleAl0 at ix.netcom.com
Fri Jan 31 17:28:05 EST 1997


Claudo de Contrecoeur* wrote:
> 
> >From New Scientist:         My comments are not indented.
> >
> >              [P L A N E T   S C I E N C E]
> >
> >         End of the road for brain evolution
> 
> This is quite interesting reading as I often wondered what is the
> ultimate size a brain could reach and still work properly.

 [huge and merciful snip]

Start by considering the greasy grey blob of skull pudding filling a 
blue whale's skull.  Is that big enough for you?

Blue whales are herbivores.  How much intelligence does it take to
filter feed?  

Rats have brains the size of blueberries.  Rats vs whales, my money is
on the rats.

-- 
Alan "Uncle Al" Schwartz
UncleAl0 at ix.netcom.com ("zero" before @)
http://www.ultra.net.au/~wisby/uncleal.htm
 (Toxic URL! Unsafe for children, Democrats, and most mammals)
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"  The Net!



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