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RE: Humans Are Not Smarter Than Other Forms Of Life, Just Different
But but but...Humans are smarter than other forms of life.(on Earth)
The reason we do not have gill's is because we walked on land, tails because we don't hang of branches. We are the most advanced species on the planet and we keep advancing. Our average lifespan is increasing generation on generation.
Our chances of long term survival far outweigh that of any other species. Our ability to travel into space and possibly create colony's is not something another species can hope to achieve. This planet at some point will become inhospitable and humans are the only species with a real chance of survival.
We're here because an ancestor species crawled out onto land, not because humans did. We do have tails - vestigial tails, because at one time our distant ancestors did hang from branches. Our brain volume has been decreasing for several tens of thousands of years, allegedly because our brains are rewiring themselves more efficiently, in a smaller space. People today are no more intelligent than people of the middle ages, Roman times or earlier. We have technology now that might give the illusion we're smarter than we were. Dissemination of knowledge and the retention of it over long periods of time is down to the invention of the printing press. We are the most technologically advanced species on the planet, but that's only one facet of a species. Maybe the whales and dolphins are more advanced than we are in other respects.
Human lifespan has been extended somewhat by medical technology, especially where disease would otherwise kill people. Lifespan has been extended more by better nutrition, better availability of food and better living conditions.
Actually, our chances of long term survival are much lower than other species. We have the capability of wiping ourselves out in numerous ways that no other species has. We also have the capability of wiping out many other species too. We're actually in the middle of an Extinction event right now, driven by human activity and its effect on the environment. The average lifespan of a species is 100,000 years. We used to think modern humans moved out of Africa 100,000-200,00 years ago but recent discoveries have pushed the age of our race back to 300,000 years. That we haven't gone extinct yet is counter to natural law. Intelligence is a trait whose value as a survival mechanism is still being tested. It does seem to be a good survival trait but it has a collateral cost on the rest of nature. If we wipe out the planet, then intelligence will have been the worst survival trait that ever evolved.
We dropped the ball on space travel back in the 1970s when human spaceflight was relegated to driving a faulty truck into space (the Space Shuttle). No human has been beyond low-Earth orbit in 45 years. China has the best chance of putting a man on the Moon and on Mars in the next couple of decades. Human colonization is decades away unless some radical choices are made. And the effects of climate change or a limited nuclear war may be felt before any colonization efforts see fruition.
We're in agreement that this planet will become inhospitable at some point. However, that point is sometime in the next 30-80 years. Near enough that many alive today will be around to see it (if not for long!)
That ability to wipe out the human race also has the nasty side effect of wiping out 99.99% of other life on the planet. If that is what happens then so be it. shit happens! But that still put's humans in the top 0.01%. It is also extremely unlikely that we will create a Mass extinction, a nuke or two sure! Worst case we nuke us all to fuck and humans will probably still survive in bunkers etc for a 1000 years. That is survivability!
I agree is yet to be seen on the grand scale if our intelligence is truly detrimental to our environment. This is most likely the reason we have emotion coupled with logic.
I do find it hard to believe that humans are no more intelligent now than in the 16th century though. The more information that is freely available in our society brings up the mean intelligence of the species as a whole. We are in the information age and I have a feeling more and more prodigies will be born on a daily basis.
Also I was only pointing out the title is incorrect. Humans are very intelligent and its ridiculous to speculate otherwise.
You're confusing the acquisition of knowledge and the application of that knowledge with human intelligence. Had the Romans had our knowledge and tech, they'd have been able to use it equally well. However, it's likely they would have discovered things we've missed, and vice versa.
I do not see how?
The title implies human are <= other lifeforms on the planet.
Unless you are talking about my disbelief about human intelligence and progression(We are no more intelligent than 16th century).
Then your just wrong. Our mean intelligence is far greater than 400 years ago. As a species, not just socially!
It is clear that a primates brain size is predetermined by the size of the group. My theory is that this effect has 10x since the invention of the internet and social media. Freely available information is creating the foundation for new neural pathways which will be clear to see in future generations.
advancing towards what? increasing lifespan for what reason? other species can live 4 years and replicate 10 times as much. why is lifespan more important than numbers?
You need to ask cockroaches, mice and really 99% of all species on earth. They will be here and we will be long gone.
and we do? we make the movies sure..but space colonies? that's a meme.
this planet went through 5 mass extinctions and yet life emerged once again
Ok i am new to this..so I cant reply and tag text fancy..will learn how in a minute. So please bear with me.
Increasing your lifespan and trying to survive is the base function of all life. Living organism's replicate.
I never said humans were the best at it. I only pointed out in the long term we have the greatest chance of survival. Due to our intelligence. Spaces colonies etc are merely 100's of years away. Much sooner than any perceived 6th Mass Extinction.
You ask people to take a grand scale of the universe and life in itself. Great idea. But to deny the clear fact we are the species with the most potential is failing to care about your own kind. We are worth much more than that!
if an asteroid falls the species that can block radiation and live underground will survive. it happened before actually. this is how WE came to be after the dinosaurs went extinct.
so, since we have not space ships yet, we are pretty much far behind in this respect.
Come on now... Do you really wan't to go the world is gonna end soon route?
We are talking about probability here. Please take timescale of previous mass extinctions into consideration. Your not trying to sell newspapers! Sensationalism never leads anywhere good.
Lets just agree humans are the most intelligent creatures on the planet and you made a boo boo :)
nop. you brought it up and I brought up the scenario. follow up man.
yes. we are more likely to get fucked than cockroaches and mice. space colonies are nowhere near other than Hollywood.
I said 100's of years.. you clearly have no interest in an intelligent conversation so i will bid you adue