Practicalities
physical courses take place every 2 weeks on Thursday between 16:00 - 19:00
location/venue for next course will be precised at the end of the previous course
however, due to weather conditions or other unpredictable circumstances, it may also be the case that the outdoor session will need to be canceled or special measures (umbrella, rainjacket) will need to
magnifying glass or telescope can also be useful for certain sessions
should the session get canceled, You will be informed about that no later than at noon (12:00) in seminar's asynchronous matrix seminar room
/join #bio-animals:m3x.baumhaus.digital
Formalities
who am I
who are You
is this a course for You ?
credits (2 ECTS for >75% attendance, +1 for referat/experiment)
Hausarbeit possible
need help ? (tutor: a.terzieva@udk-berlin.de)
Leistungsnachweis
signature-related issues
Smartphone & Feedback box
What is Bildung Biodigitale ?
Old definition: BB is an educational curriculum integrating paradigms of computer-oriented sciences (e.g. informatics, cybernetics, AI etc.) and nature-oriented sciences (e.g. biology, ecology, botanics etc.) into a life-centered didactic package. Instead of being composed of dry indoor frontal teaching lectures, BB seminars mostly take place outdoor, some of them are peripatetic –i.e. walking– and apart from „aesthetic“ and „theoretical“ components always include a „survival“ component.
New definition: Bildung Biodigitale is a seminar cycle which deploys eco-artificial education within University context.
What is eco-artificial education ?
``Ecoartificial education (EAE) integrates those forms of pedagogical and didactic practice where artificially intelligent systems are being deployed for the purpose of increase of Wuman’s knowledge and respect of the surrounding biosphere.''
EAE is about cultivating what Charles Darwin called ``the most noble attribute of man''
The most noble attribute
The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.
session content
search & hunt; observation & contemplation
stories & aphorisms
species identification (install Merlin Bird App) & interaction
human-generated texts, images & videos
AI-generated texts, images & videos
discussions
concepts
biographies & historical examples
algorithm
homeworks
games
Animal Guessing Game
We will play a game: "What kind of animal am I ?".
I will think of an animal and You will try to guess the species of animal I think about.
You can also ask yes / no question and if they are meaningful and relevant I will always truthfully answer them with "yes" or "no" or "I don't know".
You can also ask "are You X ?" where X means the most plausible animal You think I am. But You can only ask three such "Are You X" questions, if You ask three such questions wrong, You lost.
The goal is to guess what animal I am with as few questions as possible. You can now ask first question.
The New Ethics
In his book The New Ethics, American zoologist and philosopher J. Howard Moore argued that humans are simply individual sentient beings, existing alongside a number of other sentient beings, differing only in degree, not in kind.
Moore asserts that the Golden Rule, which he calls "The Great Law", is applicable to all beings, regardless of their species membership.
He contends that the New Ethics is an ethical consequence of Darwin's theory of evolution, which established that all beings are related to each other and that it rejected the anthropocentric belief that non-human animals were produced for the benefit of humans.
First discussion
The question is: "Should the New Ethics and the Golden Law be extended to encompass non-organic forms of intelligence ?"
(Equivalent question is "Can AI possess at least animal-level sentience ?")
You will be divided into two groups, one is to provide arguments for "yes" answer, the other for the answer "no". When discussing / reasoning about AI - humanity relations, think also about humanity - animal relations.
Animals in (art) history
Think about history of human art.
Do animals play some role in it ?
Name some examples...
(& let's consult Karel so that he can start showing us his "opinion" on the topic)
Caroli Linnaei Regnum Animale
„Animalia corpora organisata, viva et sentientia, sponteque se moventia“
„Tiere: organisierte Körper, lebend und empfindend, sich spontan bewegend“
„Animals enjoy sensation by means of a living organization, animated by a medullary substance; perception by nerves; and motion by the exertion of the will. They have members for the different purposes of life; organs for their different senses; and faculties (or powers) for the application of their different perceptions. They all originate from an egg. Their external and internal structure; their comparative anatomy, habits, instincts, and various relations to each other, are detailed in authors who professedly treat on their subjects“
Vermes
Animals of slow motion, soft substance, able to increase their bulk and restore parts which have been destroyed, extremely tenacious of life, and the inhabitants of moist places. Many of them are without a distinct head, and most of them without feet. They are principally distinguished by their tentacles (or feelers). By the Ancients they were not improperly called imperfect animals, as being destitute of ears, nose, head, eyes and legs; and are therefore totally distinct from Insects.
Insecta
A very numerous and various class consisting of small animals, breathing through lateral spiracles, armed on all sides with a bony skin, or covered with hair; furnished with many feet, and moveable antennae (or horns), which project from the head, and are the probable instruments of sensation.
Hemiptera
Four wings. Dissimilar pairs. Forewings partly hardened.
Hymenoptera
Four wings. Pairs similar. Tail bearing a sting.
Pisces
Always inhabiting the waters; fish are swift in their motion and voracious in their appetites. They breathe by means of gills, which are generally united by a bony arch; swim by means of radiate fins, and are mostly covered over with cartilaginous scales. Besides the parts they have in common with other animals, they are furnished with a nictitant membrane, and most of them with a swim-bladder, by the contraction or dilatation of which, they can raise or sink themselves in their element at pleasure.
Amphibia
Animals that are distinguished by a body cold and generally naked; stern and expressive countenance; harsh voice; mostly lurid color; filthy odor; a few are furnished with a horrid poison; all have cartilaginous bones, slow circulation, exquisite sight and hearing, large pulmonary vessels, lobate liver, oblong thick stomach, and cystic, hepatic, and pancreatic ducts: they are deficient in diaphragm, do not transpire (sweat), can live a long time without food, are tenacious of life, and have the power of reproducing parts which have been destroyed or lost; some undergo a metamorphosis; some cast (shed) their skin; some appear to live promiscuously on land or in the water, and some are torpid during the winter.
Aves
A beautiful and cheerful portion of created nature consisting of animals having a body covered with feathers and down; protracted and naked jaws (the beak), two wings formed for flight, and two feet. They are areal, vocal, swift and light, and destitute of external ears, lips, teeth, scrotum, womb, bladder, epiglottis, corpus callosum and its arch, and diaphragm.
Passeriformes
Turdidae (Thrushes) ::: Sylviidae (Sylviid Warblers) ::: Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers) ::: Troglodytidae (Wrens) ::: Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers) ::: Corvidae (Crows and Jays) ::: Paridae (Tits and Chickadees) ::: Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins) ::: Fringillidae (Finches) ::: Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) ::: Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits) ::: Emberizidae (Buntings) ::: Cardinalidae (Cardinals) ::: Icteridae (New World Blackbirds) ::: Vireonidae (Vireos) ::: Thraupidae (Tanagers)
Thraupidae (Tanagers)
Thraupidae (Tanagers)
Vireonidae (Vireos)
Vireonidae (Vireos)
Icteridae (New World Blackbirds)
Icteridae (New World Blackbirds)
Cardinalidae (Cardinals)
Cardinalidae (Cardinals)
Emberizidae (Buntings)
Emberizidae (Buntings)
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
Fringillidae (Finches)
Fringillidae (Finches)
Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
Paridae (Tits and Chickadees)
Paridae (Tits and Chickadees)
Corvidae (Crows and Jays)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius):::Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica):::Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula):::Rook (Corvus frugilegus):::Carrion Crow (Corvus corone):::Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix):::Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)
Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)
Sylviidae (Sylviid Warblers)
Sylviidae (Sylviid Warblers)
Turdidae (Thrushes)
Turdidae (Thrushes)
Mammalia
Animals that suckle their young by means of lactiferous teats. In external and internal structure they resemble man: most of them are quadrupeds; and with man, their natural enemy, inhabit the surface of the Earth. The largest, though fewest in number, inhabit the ocean.
Carnivora
Feliformia:::Caniformia
First Homework
Take a photo of at least one synanthrope which shares Your household with You.
Try to identify Your species and put the photo in the #bio-animals room along its latin name.
(Should You have difficulties identifying the animal, upload the photo nonetheless and we'll try to identify the animal for You.)
Next session
The next session will take place in my garden.
Lest the wetter is very bad, we meet on 4th May 2023 (AE530504) at following GPS coordinates: 52.57924726434418, 13.437712684712407
(Parcel 37, KGA Dreieck Nord, not far from crossing Frithjofstrasse / Romain-Rolland Strasse, S-Bahn Pankow Heinersdorf or M2 Heinersdorf)
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