Um, many animals engage in seemingly pointless play - chimps play by themselves with available materials, and even my dog knows how to throw a ball to himself over and over. Hey, dog is god backwards...
Mark, actually, one of my dogs has just completed his dissertation on the influence of German idealism on 19th century European politics. It's riveting reading.
And my cats keep dossiers on all visitors to our home for future blackmail and extortion opportunities.
For most scholars, writing is a biological opportunity too. But I was talking about humans, not scholars. 
Darn, and I thought you were somehow going to bring in the Trinity.
You know ... each (rock, hand, scissors) being somehow equal in power to the others yet somehow distinct ...
aw, forget it.
Well, I'm glad to read that there are other Catholic bloggers who appreciate dogs enough to actually observe them in nature.
When the dog writing the dissertation publishes it, I'd like my dog to read it. He likes to make comments on things, but sometimes defers to his espoused. Sometimes? Like all the time almost.
But seriously, folks, dogs are capable of reason. My late dog pal played a complex joke on me, which involved considerable memory, and manipulation using an imaginary decoy. It was amazing. These two present little beasts plot together in conversation at times, and fascinate me. Of course, one has to apply the time and skills of observing such critturs, not easy when there is money out there demanding to be earned. But then also, one must tend away from the rigors of a utilitarian society from time to time.
John - animals truly are amazing - which, obviously, for me ties us closer to them than ever. Have you seen the dolphin creativity experiments?
Physical play is a form of biological opportunity. Mental play is another thang entirely. Rock Paper Scissors (though beyond the mental capacity of chimps) is something I can concieve a brain-boosted dog enjoying. It involves making the body wiggle, which animals like. Founding a Rock Paper Scissor *Society* or writing a symphony or a novel is not something any animal but one would enjoy.
My oldest (5) just learned how to play this little game and he loves it.
Thank God for our ability to enjoy this terrific little game. Of course, when I was in Catholic school, a group of us played this game at the end of Mass, so I developed a dislike for this game until just recently!
Pax Christi
No, but I've seen dolphin in the surf, and by their expressions and body language I could tell that they were happily playing in the manner of their society.
Sounds funny, doesn't it? But, consider that prior to the last few centuries almost all of us were awash with animals, fish, birds, insects.
There is something about human beings that is different from all animals. I've read and thought about the phrases from Catholic philosophers and theologians which define this difference, but I really don't think the difference has yet been adequately put into words.
"Rational" animal? Animals seem to me to think rationally. This not to the "complexity" of humans, but I fail so far to see the qualitative difference, seeing only the quantitative difference.
But, I do see the difference; I just don't find peace with even the explanation given by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Well, OK, not enough of a fan that I don't post this anoymously, but: Rocks, Paper, Scissors is an extremely psychological game. When I was about 15, I freaked out my father by shooting the same as he did about a dozen times in a row. There was nothing psychic about it--I just know him so well that I could guess his thought processes ("OK, I've shot 'rock' three times in a row, so she'll expect me to 'surprise' her by shooting it a fourth time, but I won't..."). That's why it's so fun--it's not primarily a game of chance at all.
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