[usernametaken29]

> It is particularly fascinating they are able to make these fine-scale adjustments while they are thought to be asleep, a challenge totally alien to terrestrial mammals like us humans.

While fascinating it’s not surprising. The vegetative nervous system does a LOT of things on autopilot. I think most people have no idea how many things their body regulates permanently that are actually technically difficult (orientation is particularly hard) and the lower brain stems just wing it.

For me this is a classic case of associating intelligence only with conscious awareness when there’s many other ways how we (and other animals) are “clever” even if we don’t know it at first ;)

[whycome]

“These crazy hairless primates are able to walk across a tightrope by using their ears!”

Technically true. And also points to interesting physiological systems that continuously “automate” seemingly complex actions.