Steemit Engagement Challenge S11/W1 - Perhaps if man had not invented fire, what would this earth have looked like?

Hey Steemian friends!

Have you watched the "Avatar the Last Airbender" cartoon series. Then you must be well acquainted with the four fundamental elements that shape the world, namely "Air, Earth, Water, and Fire". Without these elements life or the planet will always stay imbalance. Each element is essential for the delicate balance of life. Now in this contest we have to picture a world without fire.

👉 Perhaps if man had not invented fire, what would this earth have looked like?

Let's imagine an Earth where fire remained undiscovered. Our ancestors used fire to many essential work in their lives, I will try to highlight some of them below.

🔥 We know that fire had given the warmth when it's cold,
🔥 Protect against predators.
🔥 As a source of light in the night.
🔥 To cook food.

Now, let's dive deeper into each aspect, picturing a world where human never saw these flames 🔥

• Without fire to provide warmth during cold nights and winter seasons, our ancestors would've faced quite a challenge surviving in the past. In response to the cold environment, humans might have evolved differently, possibly with thicker layers of hair or fur to protect ourselves from the cold. Imagine us looking somewhat like our primate relatives, such as monkeys or gorillas, adapting to the chill with a more robust and furry appearance.

---

---

• In the early stages of human existence, without the protective power of fire, our ancestors must have had real difficulty to go against big and powerful predators. The struggle for survival would have been intense, and this constant fight for safety might slow down the technological advancements and tool-making. So we must be still struggling to place ourselves in the world trying to survive because that has to be our first priority.

---

---

• One of the most significant impact to us would be the availability of food! No BBQs as that was the first culinary adventure human had! I can't imagine how we would eat row food without warm cooked meals. Probably we will discover alternative preservation methods to keep foods and our meals will simpler and less diverse diet. This will even affect the pace of human evolution as we don't have nutritious food for our brain development.

---

---

• Sun & moon being only power source to light the world we will have to migrate the places where sun shone most brightly and for the longest duration. As the sun goes down our night life will be full of darkness making all the activities challenging.

---

---

👉 How do you think man discovered fire?

The first case has to be the lightning striking a tree! That's how they see it in the first time. But that could be a destruction and they would have never want to invent something such destructive. The first invention probably an accident which made someone to rub sticks together or striking stones near dry grass or the wood. Later they must have use it as a protective method and to warm them in the night. I guess that's where the BBQ invented.

👉 What are the advantages and disadvantages of fire?

Advantages of fire:

• Warmth: Provide a much needed source of heat during cold winter nights .
• Cooking: Warm cook food would be much nicer than raw meals and it can make digestion easier.
• Protection: Fire would keep wild animals at bay, providing much needed security.
• Light: Without electricity, fire would be our primary source of light during the dark hours.

Disadvantages of fire:

• Destruction: One single mistake could wreak havoc on nature, leading to wildfires and loss of habitats.
• Health Hazards: If we don't know how to control the fire it can be harmful.
• Superiority: When human master the way to control and use fire they used it as formidable weapon.

👉 Is fire essential for us or not?

Thinking about these aspects, it is quite evident that fire played a huge role in shaping human history to where it is now. I don't think we will be anyway near to this advancement without the discovery of this very element.

However, our adaptability might choose another method to evolve. It is very interesting to think about that too.

👉 How should we handle fire for a safe environment?

Now this is a question related to present. As pointed out earlier fire can be disastrous and we should always be super cautious with this element. These are the suggestion that we can use for safety.

• Fire Safety: Most of the companies and factories have fire extinguishers, but I rarely see this in a house. I recommend to keep fire extinguisher if possible. Also having emergency evacuation plan would be ideal.
• Educate about different fire types: Understanding different fire types is crucial for safety. There can be flammable liquids, chemical reactions & electrical fire. Each requires specific extinguishing methods so being knowledgeable about these would help in an emergency situation. Below 04min video will give you a good understanding about this topic.
• Limited Use: Use fire only when necessary, and avoid leaving it unattended. In Bangladesh I saw that they don't use gas cylinders but the gas comes through their pipelines. Most of the time they leave their gas on as it is very cheap and almost free for them.