Two articles that make you go, “Huh. Interesting.”

Dogs in Moscow evolving/devolving/do things you wouldn’t expect.

But beggar dogs have evolved the most specialized behavior. Relying on scraps of food from commuters, the beggar dogs can not only recognize which humans are most likely to give them something to eat, but have evolved to ride the subway. Using scents, and the ability to recognize the train conductor’s names for different stops, they incorporate many stations into their territories.

So we don’t actually want to kill each other?

There may, however, be another reason. In his book On Killing, Lt Col Dave Grossman says that such behavior is typical of most armies. He quotes a US medic in Vietnam who had to crawl onto battle fields to help wounded soldiers, “What always amazed me is how many bullet can be fired during a firefight without anyone getting hurt.” Equipment can play a role, but there are also psychological factors, Grossman explains. Soldiers have an innate aversion to killing, he says, and will intentionally miss or just not shoot to avoid killing.

Huh. Interesting.

- sean

Related posts:

1. Wonders never cease.
2. Inglorious Basterds – Review

Filed under: Daily, Aversion, Beggar, Commuters, Dogs, Firefight, Huh, Lt Col Dave Grossman, Moscow, Psychological Factors, Scents, Scraps, Subway, Train Conductor, Vietnam, Wounded Soldiers