Problem: Historically, philosophers and scientists have made the argument that human superiority is based on our ability to use language and reason (see Descartes' "Animals are Machines.") Contemporary science has demonstrated that many animals are capable of using reason: crows and primates make tools, pigeons can problem-solve, cephalopods can solve puzzles, etc. and animals once thought to be silent, such as giraffes, have been recorded calling out to one another (with the use of special recording equipment). How does the contemporary research on trees challenge our notion of what counts as communication? Are the trees "speaking" to one another? Can they "hear" one another? How do we understand these behaviors, when our paradigms have all been shaped around human or at least animal communication? Need Assignment Help?