h a l f b a k e r yExpensive, difficult, slightly dangerous, not particularly effective... I'm on a roll.
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Elephants are highly intelligent, immensely strong, curious, loyal, social animals. They are also playful and collaborative when solving problems. Despite having great strength, their trunks are sensitve and can perform delicate tasks.
Universal Elephant Trunk Tool Facilitator enables these brilliant
animals to extend the range of tasks they can willingly perform. It consists of a simple collar that is fitted towards the end of the trunk, and once in place allows the elephant to pick up and operate a greater range of actual tools in total comfort.
Elephants equipped with the Tool Facilitator may now be seen changing the wheels of cars (for example) as one easily lifts the car clear of the road, while another turns the spanner to undo the wheel-nuts. Brushing, using a hose becomes child's play, but other activities like flower arranging; putting clothes on a line; quarry stone hammering; carpentry; ironing; gardening, all become possible for the elephant to achieve.
More advanced tasks may now be attempted - such as completing a jig-saw puzzle or the playing of games like table tennis or even snooker.
Elephants never forget
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mR6xvzXpEVo
[xenzag, Jun 07 2019]
Give Wild Elephants Smartphones
Mentioned in my anno [notexactly, Jun 21 2019]
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Since elephant polo is known to be a thing, this isn't unreasonable ; however, since billiard and snooker balls used to be carved from ivory, it could be considered lacking in tact. |
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I wonder whether an elephant, if it could watch the process of carving ivory into a snooker ball, would treat the ball any differently. The experiment could be carried out today with a little sleight-of-hand. |
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//completing a jig-saw puzzle or the playing of games like table tennis or even snooker// - arguably, if it were possible for elephants to do these things, then millions of years of evolution through natural selection would have resulted in elephants actually doing these things, perhaps as part of a complex mating display, for example. |
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A nasal opposable thumb, then? |
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An oppodhaba thub, you might say. |
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How would the elephant operate it? Would it need a meta-
facilitator, ad infinitum? |
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CNC mills and pick-&-place machines have tool changers.
Making them available to elephants too could have world-
changing consequences. |
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//it could be considered lacking in tact// |
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Presumably some other material would be used, human bone? |
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The problem with human bone is there is no part of the human skeletal structure from which a homogeneous sphere 52.5mm in diameter can be carved. |
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I can think of a few individuals who’s skulls are
solid bone all the way through to a walnut sized
brain that controls basic movement functions. |
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How about the hip ball joint, no, that's a bit small
probably. |
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Ok then, still no problem. |
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Just grind to powder, load into
industrial compressor (perhap
with a
little resin mixed in), switch it on & Presto! industrial sized
slabs of bone
to any specification desired, problem solved. |
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Or (& I know this is a crazy idea) we could just change the
regulation size of the balls for elephant snooker to
something a touch smaller? |
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That's in Western Ukraine, right? |
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I let him off with that one because he's been a bit
rusty of late, and needs some fluffy treatment. |
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?? Is that a subdivision of furry culture? |
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// People would starting complaining // |
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No, they're much more likely to keep quiet ; most people will go to great lengths to avoid mentioning the elephant in the room. |
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[glances over to make sure Dumbo isn't' listening..
continues in a hushed voice] |
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It's only natural aint it, you don't
want to annoy someone that big do you. |
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Dumbo, or Jumbo as we often called him is always
listening.... see last link; |
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So how might the design work? [xenzag] were you imagining an artificial human hand and forearm tool that grasps on being squeezed or a full trunk fitting artificial limb that the elephant put on and take off at whim. Breathing holes of course. The tool would have to be comfortable so probably a twisted broken looking forearm. |
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// A nasal opposable thumb, then? // |
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Elephants already have opposable trunk tips that they use for grasping
small things, and for operating touchscreens both without and with styli
—see video in first [link] at my [linked] idea. (It's archived, but it still
plays, albeit with two squished copies of the video side-by-side.) |
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IIRC, African elephants have two "fingers" on their trunks, while Asian
elephants have one. The elephant in the video looks Asian. |
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// The problem with human bone is there is no part of the human
skeletal structure from which a homogeneous sphere 52.5mm in
diameter can be carved. // |
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Apply lab-grown meat technology to human bone, and make whatever
size you want. Better yet, apply lab-grown meat technology to ivory! It's
still a nice material, and I hope we can soon produce it without harming
elephants for it. Rhino horns are already being produced by 3D printing
(to attempt to flood the market and make poaching not worth it), but I
think the material isn't quite the same. |
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//Elephants already have opposable trunk tips// I think the idea is for more, easier dexterity because they have the intelligence to use it. |
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