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Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

nytimes.com

41–50 of 250 posts

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#42
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ten minutes of animal cruelty involved in eating a live octopus doesn't phase me compared to the life-long animal cruelty most farm animals suffer. The only reason it's more outrageous is because it's 'obvious,' I imagine. In the West, we like our animal cruelty to be kept strictly behind closed doors.

Maybe there's a way to chemically destroy part of their brain at birth, while using their body to grow meat tissue? Some ethicist should come up with an electronic controller that keeps the chickens or whatever alive by stimulating neurons like the brain would, but which clearly has no consciousness attached. Actually, this entire business of needing a whole chicken to make chicken meat seems inefficient. I wonder if…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#43
post #7

It upsets me to no end that we find evidence such as this piece that cephalopods are actually (relatively speaking) remarkably more intelligent than common wisdom pertains[0], and yet the culinary abuse and harm (i.e. 'live sushi/sashimi') of these creatures continues. [0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod_intelligence

So are you saying each lifeform should only eat what is dumber than it?

As the sibling comment points out, we're getting into ethics which obviously only applies to those who are capable to ethical reasoning.

Personally, I see far better attributes as being measures of whether we should harm other individuals (sentience should be the qualifier), but I can see how intelligence may make its way into these conversations.

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#44
post #34
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What else do you want to use?

The current bar is just anything not in the genus Homo and would likely extend to any 'humanoid' species. A wolf doesn't really care about the relative intelligence of the rabbits it kills, but has a natural kinship between other wolves or wolf-like creatures which more-or-less extends to, "I wont kill you for food unless I'm starving."

Wolves are extremely opportunistic carnivores, and will, given the opportunity, eat another wolf.

That aside, unclear how wolves relate to the topic.

Generally speaking, most life on Earth doesn't even eat other living organisms, but the naturally left remains of living organisms.

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#45
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ten minutes of animal cruelty involved in eating a live octopus doesn't phase me compared to the life-long animal cruelty most farm animals suffer. The only reason it's more outrageous is because it's 'obvious,' I imagine. In the West, we like our animal cruelty to be kept strictly behind closed doors.

Maybe there's a way to chemically destroy part of their brain at birth, while using their body to grow meat tissue? Some ethicist should come up with an electronic controller that keeps the chickens or whatever alive by stimulating neurons like the brain would, but which clearly has no consciousness attached. Actually, this entire business of needing a whole chicken to make chicken meat seems inefficient. I wonder if…

In-vitro meat is looking like a more viable option by the day. And it has the obvious moral ground.

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#46
post #29
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idea that intellect should be a measure of if is okay to kill or other use a species is extremely flawed in my opinion.

its better than basing it on how cute the animal is.

Serious question: why?

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#47
post #34
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What else do you want to use?

The current bar is just anything not in the genus Homo and would likely extend to any 'humanoid' species. A wolf doesn't really care about the relative intelligence of the rabbits it kills, but has a natural kinship between other wolves or wolf-like creatures which more-or-less extends to, "I wont kill you for food unless I'm starving."

Wolves are irrelevant here. If we're talking about the morality of the way we treat animals, it's a logical fallacy to try to use wolf behavior to justify our own (and something I'm sure would never occur in any other discussion of morality).

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#48
post #28
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idea that intellect should be a measure of if is okay to kill or other use a species is extremely flawed in my opinion.

What else do you want to use?

Sentience - I really don't see any other sensible qualifier for moral consideration.

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#49
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This won't be seriously entertained by most people until their standard of living is better than the octopus. Hungry people don't have the time or energy to worry about how smart their meal is. Only religion ever seems to make a dent in dietary habits in the 3rd world.

Isn't eating live animals a luxurious thing in some regions of Asia?

I actually I don't think eating a live octopus is done (at least a fully grown one) since the suction force of its cups(?) continues quite some time after it's death and can be quite dangerous if it sticks to your throat.

Eating live shrimp is a thing though.

Re: Inky the octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

#50
post #7

It upsets me to no end that we find evidence such as this piece that cephalopods are actually (relatively speaking) remarkably more intelligent than common wisdom pertains[0], and yet the culinary abuse and harm (i.e. 'live sushi/sashimi') of these creatures continues. [0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod_intelligence

Are you against eating all animals or is there a cut off point of intelligence after which it stops being okay?

Most of what is/isn't acceptable to eat is based on history and popular socially accepted practices, not whether people think their prospective dinner is intelligent. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs yet the latter are not eaten in the western world and I wouldn't want to live in a world without the (delicious) former.

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