I sat down with solo pianist, composer, and educator Robin Spielberg to talk about her garden: a lush, 20-year-old haven in southern York County, PA filled with flowering perennials, native plants, and ornamental treasures.
While there's no definitive proof, there's evidence suggesting elephants may have some understanding of death and mortality, including their own. They show complex behaviors like mourning, interacting with the remains of deceased elephants, and even seeking out the resting places of loved ones. These behaviors, coupled with their cognitive abilities, lead some experts to believe they may have a sense of their own mortality.
Bees also strive to leave the hive before they die, though it would be difficult to argue that they *know* they are going to die conceptually rather than simply feeling an urge or impulse to fly out and away from the hive near death. In the end, we can't ever really know what other animals know, we can only infer from their behavior. Now, we are getting into epistemological arguments lol. I told my mom my philosophy B.S. would come in handy!
Enjoyed listening to my two friends while gardening in my own garden on this beautiful day!
Robin: when will you do a concert in your garden?
I’d love that—but then there is the problem of moving one ton instrument outdoors! I did perform at Longwood Gardens a few times and that was divine
How does she know we are the only species that knows we’re gonna die? Elephants and Orangutans leave their families to die in peace
Good point, David!!
While there's no definitive proof, there's evidence suggesting elephants may have some understanding of death and mortality, including their own. They show complex behaviors like mourning, interacting with the remains of deceased elephants, and even seeking out the resting places of loved ones. These behaviors, coupled with their cognitive abilities, lead some experts to believe they may have a sense of their own mortality.
Bees also strive to leave the hive before they die, though it would be difficult to argue that they *know* they are going to die conceptually rather than simply feeling an urge or impulse to fly out and away from the hive near death. In the end, we can't ever really know what other animals know, we can only infer from their behavior. Now, we are getting into epistemological arguments lol. I told my mom my philosophy B.S. would come in handy!
We’re the only animal that knowingly abuses other animals for products we don’t know, simultaneously destroying our poor planet.