Measuring the intelligence of beavers can't be an easy task, but I think they're pretty smart in their own way. First, they build a dam and once the pond is at a suitable level they start building the lodge. But they don't leave the dam alone once it's made; they adjust it to regulate the water depth of the pond to keep the lodge safely ensconced. It's no good if the lodge is flooded or left high and dry, so the beavers are smart enough to strike a happy medium.
Since they are nocturnal critters they must have good night vision; it can't be easy building stuff in darkness. I can't imagine what it would sound like to any nearby campers when the night shift starts. Lots of chewing and splashing, no doubt, and maybe they chirp or make sounds to keep the job on schedule. How else would they know when their buddy needs more mud on his side of the dam?
Once I started reading about beavers my curiosity was piqued and I simply had to find out how an aquatic mammal became associated with a woman's delicate lady parts. The most reasonable explanation I found, in case you're interested, involves prostitutes and their use of merkins, which were often made of beaver pelt.
Before Uncle Ken brought up beavers I was doing a bit of research on porcupines, another fascinating critter. It started with an image I saw of a hapless python who tried to put the squeeze on a porcupine; not a happy ending for the snake. One thing I didn't know is that porcupines in North America climb trees, another reason to be very careful during woodland jaunts. How would you like one of those things dropping on your head while out for a stroll?
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Okay the real problem going on is automation. Machines make everything that humans need or want better and more cheaply.
Didn't we already tread this ground? Anyhow, I disagree. Sure, certain aspects of automation are problematic but unless you like to pay more for inferior products you'll have to deal with it. Blame capitalism and free markets, if you wish. Automated systems still require workers; very few products can emerge from a machine fully formed. Did you ever see a video of the production of potato chips? All that shiny machinery cranking out millions of chips and there are still lines of human beings inspecting and yanking the defective chips. Truly a crappy job to have, standing on your feet all day as the moving line of potato chips lulls you into a hypnotic stupor. That's a job for robots; we need more automation for stuff like that. It's not a question of no jobs, it's a question of different jobs requiring different skills, an issue society has yet to meaningfully address. Training older workers for new occupations is easier said than done.
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How quickly things change. Syria was a big deal a few days ago, and now it's the North Koreans again. The White House is taking inordinate pleasure in provoking those loons and I don't think they've thought it through. The word preemptive is not something I like to read in the news.
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