[fnordfnordfnord]

What does that really prove? Beavers have no knowledge of tape players. If you took that same tape player to the local police precinct and instead of a babbling brook, you played the sound of gunfire; there's a fair chance the policemen will return your gunfire with real gunfire. Does that make them no smarter than a beaver? Even if they are no smarter than beavers, is it really an irrational behavior?

>as soon as they had comfortably bestowed Sandy and me on our horse, I lit my pipe. When the first blast of smoke shot out through the bars of my helmet, all those people broke for the woods, and Sandy went over backwards and struck the ground with a dull thud. They thought I was one of those fire-belching dragons they had heard so much about from knights and other professional liars. I had infinite trouble to persuade those people to venture back within explaining distance. Then I told them that this was only a bit of enchantment which would work harm to none but my enemies. And I promised, with my hand on my heart, that if all who felt no enmity toward me would come forward and pass before me they should see that only those who remained behind would be struck dead. The procession moved with a good deal of promptness. There were no casualties to report, for nobody had curiosity enough to remain behind to see what would happen. --Mark Twain, A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT