My Dog Knows Calculus

Have you ever shot a basketball? The arch the ball takes to the basket follows rules of calculus. So, does shooting a basketball based on specific calculations of arch and velocity (even if they may not be accurately applied 100% of the time) suggest that we all have some inherent knowledge of calculus or other higher mathematics?

Toss a Frisbee and watch your dog run after it, all the while calculating the best and most efficient approach it must take to snag the disc in mid-air trajectory (calculus on the run?). So, does this mean that dogs have an inherent knowledge of advanced mathematics?

Well, maybe not. But it was worth a few minutes of fun discussion. We talked about how mathematics (specifically calculus) was a way to explain things that occur in nature, and that it isn't an inherent knowledge or skill. Soap bubbles don't know calculus, but we can use calculus to explain their shape. Just because someone can shoot (and make) a basketball doesn't mean they know calculus, but we can use calculus to explain how the ball was shot.