What defines humanity is self-consciousness.

[rug]

v

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Orcas elephants macques apes and magpies

now all human.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. And kittens.

I've seen kittens do pretty much the same thing with mirrors.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. well the mirror test requires the subject to demonstrate that they recognize that the entity in the

mirror is in fact the subject. Kitteh!, in my experience, seems to think it is some other playmate - or as the literature has it, kittens do not demonstrate a theory of mind. Anyway the mirror test is a bit simplistic and other tests have been developed and other animals do seem to have some level of self awareness.

[rug]

5. This tyke hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

So, no.

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. Is it?

perhaps what defines many creatures is a sense of fun;

I'm betting that Beluga knows exactly what it's doing, and in my book, it has self consciousness

[rug]

6. The headline was a small joke but I agree with you about humor.

Whether it says anything or not about humanity and self-consciousness, it's a delight.