Humans, some of them, are capable, genetically, to have thought experiments. Animals can only learn through trial and error.

Now, everything that is beyond animal is controlled by DNA, genes. By genes that can be set to on or to off… These genes could be called epigenetic genes… where epi means: on or above in Greek. And ‘epigenetic’ describes factors beyond the genetic code. Epigenetic changes are modifications to the DNA that regulate whether genes are turned on or off. These modifications are attached to DNA and do not change the sequence of DNA.

Read the original article: Thought experiments. Why won’t you do them?