Penguins are not birds

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Last week, I was having a lunch with 5 coworkers who are programmers btw. The discussions led to a discussion about wild bird.

I don't remember why we started to talk about Penguins but the largest dude said:"Penguins are not birds"

I was like and others 2 dudes were convinced by him, the third was 'not sure' by saying: "but it looks like a bird"

The other dude said: "Birds have specific characteristics , Penguins don't have them, penguins have fins ..not wings."

The largest dude said:" Penguins also don't lay eggs,they are mammals and and they have leather skin and not feathers'

Me: ".... guys I think you are confused between Penguins and seals?!"

The large dude:"WHat?? no we are talking about Penguins?"

Me:"You mean the animal of white and black? the one that looks like nuns?"

the two dudes:"Yes!"


I was eating chicken, I pointed the chicken with my fork and said sarcastly: "Well guys.... if Penguin are mammal then Chicken are mammal too!!"

I enjoyed when I showed them on wikipedia: Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.


how far stupid people can be???

Well, I thought penguins laid eggs.

Anyway, it's possible that wikipedia is wrong on this, it's a user supported site, remember that. check out the reference to be sure some guy didn't pull that "fact" out of his butt.

In anycase, I'm gonna research this for myself!

[edit]

Penguins are definately birds.
I had a lingering bit of doubt, as I just wasn't sure, but yep, beyond shadow of doubt. Read the wikipage too, pretty interesting.

Its funny what people will believe (barring the fact that these guys were not trying to tease you, and were serious?). I still have to laugh at a few vegetarians who have blatantly told me that fish were not "animals". Certainly, if you want to eat fish as your protein source and that sits well with your beliefs, knock yourself out - just don't tell me that fish are vegetables.

I also remember one fellow who believed that hummingbirds migrated south by hitching a ride on the back of a Canadian Goose.

Oh well, its good for a laugh, anyway !

^^ no, they were serious. They are not of teaser type.

Penguins don't lay eggs? Then where does the male penguin get the egg he spends months holding with his feet? And what does it hatch into? A shark?

Next time you see them, ask them what they think a platypus is. Also, get them to rent Happy Feet on DVD or something. Awful movie, but it might be educational for them

Penguins do have pins. I can prove it

http://www.zulumoon.com/details.asp?ProductCode=PN-531

Yeah, agreed with aethra, they'd go crazy if they saw a platypus. Or they might think it's a hoax, like the first scientists who saw them.

Grr, ignorence on that scale always makes me angry. I remeber loosing games and "friendly" bets because everyone me thought that things that were not vertebrates were not animals. There was the one time where people thought that only mammals were animals. And it seems like if the "leader" of the group believes something, no matter what facts you throw at them, everyone believes them. And then they get pissed off when later you show them proof that they were wrong! *Sigh* I SO don't understand people.

The majority of interaction between humans is based on"bonding", which generally is based around agreeing with the pack leader...not on sharing correct information. This reality is one reason that I find most human interaction either boring or frustrating or both. We might as well still be monkeys making the correct grunting sounds to reinforce the status of the pack leader or attack the bottom of the pack individual, so that we can "find our place" in the social group.


"normal humans" have little interest in the exchange of valuable information if it contradicts the first rule of society....knowing your place and reinforcing the "place" of other pack members. The reason that it is not "OK" to clear up these misinformations is because it is not "our place" unless we are the pack leader...seldom the case for aspies.

Once when I was fourteen, and at camp, I was playing "20 Questions" with the other girls in my tent. The girl who bunked below me had chosen 'tiger shark', but I couldn't get it, because she said halfway through that the animal was a mammal.
So at the end I corrected her, and she got mad, so I tried to reverse the damage, saying, "I'm sorry, I guess that's just what I get for being in GT classes." And she said, "Well I'm in GT too and you don't have to be a b***h about it!"
I was sooo confused...
Something that bothers me too is when people say dolphins are fish, or that spiders are insects. It makes me want to tear my hair out, even though I guess I can understand why some people would be confused about it.