Intelligence in Nature
| File:Intelligence in Nature.jpg First edition | |
| Author | Jeremy Narby |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin |
Published in English | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (book) |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 1-58542-399-8 Search this book on  . |
Intelligence in Nature: An Inquiry into Knowledge is a 2005 non-fiction book by Jeremy Narby.
The book is an ethnographic work which continues Narby's quest that began in The Cosmic Serpent (1995) about the ability of alternative traditions of knowledge to gain access to knowledge by communicating with other species, organisms, and even being able to communicate at the molecular level.[1]
Chapter 1: Brainy Bird[edit]
The book is divided into eleven chapters, each of which is a recounting of an experience the author had in some remote part of the world. Chapter 1: Brainy Bird is the tale of Narby's journey to the Peruvian Amazon in 2001 and starts with "One day in September 2001 I boarded a canoe piloted by a Matsigenka Indian and began heading down the Urubamba River."[2] Narby recounts his meeting Charlie Munn, a "leading bird scientist",[3] who recounted his investigation of Macaws in the region that consumed clay which binds to the toxic alkaloids in the seeds that form part of the Macaw's diet. Munn also mentioned that the birds choose clay which is higher in kaolin content as this is more effective in binding the toxins than other clay.
Narby then speculates on whether this is a sign of intelligence, instinct or evolutionary adaptive behaviour. "Are humans 'smart' when they eat clay, while macaws are merely 'instinctive' when they do the same?" he asks.[3] Narby then continues with the story of his time in the Amazon.
He later mentions the intelligence of birds in the crow family and that half of the known species of birds have to learn how to sing and learning is a hallmark of intelligence.[4] Narby claims that "When shamans enter into trance and communicate in their minds with the plant and animal world, they are said to speak the language of the birds. Historians of religion have documented this phenomenon around the world."[4] He then suggests that scientists and shamans should collaborate to "understand the minds of birds and other animals."[4] He also claims that shamans communicate with some entity to negotiate the exploitation of natural resources and that the entity protects plants and animals from reckless and greedy humans.[4]
See also[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Narby, Jeremy (2014). Intelligence in nature (PDF). New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher. ISBN 978-1-101-19089-0. OCLC 883349627. Search this book on
References[edit]
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