Joseph Jastrow and his duck – or is it a rabbit? (2004–2020)

22 pointsposted 16 hours ago
by dang

8 Comments

erulabs

14 hours ago

Recently became totally enamored with Wittgenstein - one of those thinkers who's core ideas have lived, inarticulate, in my heart, since I was a child: Language has no definite meaning, we operate in a fog of connotation, real communication of meaning is impossible, there is no possible scientific description of every-day concepts like "chair"... So much to be gained from overcoming "the bewitchment of language". Brilliant thinker.

Had no idea the duck-rabbit was attributed to him! Appears attributed incorrectly, but one can see why: The drawing is neither a duck nor a rabbit, while also being both a duck _and_ a rabbit. Ask a toddler if it's a duck and they'll say of course! Ask a philosopher, and they wont be sure! Language is fun (and meaningless!)

If you’re in the mood for a nice philosophy lecture, here’s a great overview on Wittgenstein: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7Rb56kZQSk

rav

14 hours ago

Solving the duck-rabbit puzzle in Animal Well gave me such chills. In the beginning of the game the player comes across a room with a duck that quacks at you when you walk by. In a distant corner of the world there's a picture of a duck-rabbit with a passcode. When you enter the passcode in front of the duck, it transforms into a rabbit and warps away through a portal that appears for a brief moment while a spooky sound effect plays.

leetrout

15 hours ago

Always a rabbit. Ducks bills are never that thick.

type0

14 hours ago

if it walks like a duck...