ah, smiley face dmitry.

he always looked like his mom dressed him.

you know, testing on dogs has indicated that they're not supposed to be able to figure something like this out - they're notoriously bad at "problem solving". and i'm not convinced this is luck, either - it seems to get the geometry.

my understanding is that wild predators - lions, especially, but also wolves - need to have an intuitive concept of geometry in order to carry out the hunts they carry out, which often have to do with using angles to their advantage. it's a base, intuitive understanding of trigonometry. and it's both taught behaviour and necessary for survival.

but, this is unexpected in a domestic dog.

believe it or not, this is actually a research area. not the astrology, exactly, but the general idea. there is a developing understanding that gravitational forces involving outside astronomical bodies are a factor in plate tectonics on earth, and planetary alignments are consequently important in understanding events like earthquakes and volcanoes - as well as their consequences, like climate change.

the best argument i can present in this space is to simply think of how tides work: gravitational forces between the earth and the moon. that should be enough to realize this isn't a crazy idea.

now, if he happens to be right, it's through luck rather than method. but, he is probably on to something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uVI8cQ3Hpo