Crost – Science Poetry

A gap
In the lattice of the sky –
Six shapes pause
And one turn
leave.
unnecessary
name
Know what’s right,
What’s too far
From the bone script
Edge-Meet
and mirror.
Wing shape
Clues –
See
What have we forgotten
Before we learn
Measurement.
No tricks
look –
Just a long line
pattern
The wound is tighter
Compare thoughts.

The poem is inspired by recent research that found that carrion crows can spontaneously detect geometric regularities (such as right angles and symmetry), just like humans.

Many people intuitively identify when a shape looks “routine” with features like right angles, straight edges, or symmetry. The basic significance of the geometric order that forms the foundation of Euclid’s geometric foundation is often considered unique to humans. It helps us browse, build and understand the world. But where does this understanding come from? Is this something we learn through going to school, or is it a deeper, shared capacity beyond our species?

This study explores whether animals share this basic geometric intuition by studying carrion crows. The crow showed a set of shapes and quickly learned to pick out what looks different – ​​what the researchers called “invaders.” When these intruder shapes are subtle changes in conventional geometric forms, crows still succeed – surprisingly, they perform even better when the shapes follow identified patterns such as symmetry or right angles. They don’t need training to spot these differences. This suggests that appreciation of geometric regularity may not be unique humans, but rather an evolutionary capacity shared with other species. Understanding this is an exploration of how different animals see the world and challenges the idea that mathematics is purely human structure.