seriously disabled Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 (edited) If humanity became extinct, will all the the scientific knowledge that we have obtained thus far in fields like biology, chemistry and physics be lost forever or will there be another species that will come after us that will also be capable of develping science? Edited December 27, 2016 by seriously disabled
DrKrettin Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 I suppose it depends to some extent on why our species dies out. Assuming it is innate stupidity such as a nuclear war, rather than the planet becoming totally and irreversibly uninhabitable, there is no reason to see why another species can't be just as capable of science. They would have a head start if they could work out how to read all the knowledge we have recorded somewhere - archaeology would be even more interesting than it is today.
swansont Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 I doubt much of the data will survive. If the species goes extinct, the time for similar intelligence and physical ability to arise is probably long compared to the lifetime of our technology and data storage.
Delta1212 Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 It's possible something else will come after us, but it will most likely be starting from scratch. On the off chance that intelligence arises again on Earth, or close enough to find Earth in the window of time where it still exists, it's unlikely that it would learn anything from us, except possibly a few tricks from anything mechanical that is still in good enough shape to be useable, or at least point someone in the right direction as to its function. Anything written or recorded is liable to be unreadable. 1
dimreepr Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 If humanity became extinct, will all the the scientific knowledge that we have obtained thus far in fields like biology, chemistry and physics be lost forever or will there be another species that will come after us that will also be capable of develping science? Of course, in both senses; if humans became extinct then human knowledge would also die; the frogs may come to the same conclusions, but it wouldn't be human knowledge. 1
Itoero Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 I think many species deal with science. Our science is just more/better developed/evolved.
Strange Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 It's possible something else will come after us, but it will most likely be starting from scratch. Starting from scratch in a world where all the easy sources of fuel, petrochemicals, many metals, etc. have all been used up. So they may have a harder time developing some technologies.
Prometheus Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 I think many species deal with science. Our science is just more/better developed/evolved. Which other species engage in science? We've only been doing it ourselves a few hundred years. Unless you're using a really loose definition of science?
Itoero Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 Which other species engage in science? We've only been doing it ourselves a few hundred years. Unless you're using a really loose definition of science?When an animal educates its offspring, it teaches science. Our science is so huge that we have to organize it. Our science can grow so fast because we share/communicate very well.
Delta1212 Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 When an animal educates its offspring, it teaches science. Our science is so huge that we have to organize it. Our science can grow so fast because we share/communicate very well. You're confusing culture and science.
Strange Posted December 27, 2016 Posted December 27, 2016 When an animal educates its offspring, it teaches science. Our science is so huge that we have to organize it. Our science can grow so fast because we share/communicate very well. Science is not knowledge. I don't think any animals could be said to gain the knowledge that they pass on by using science.
Sriman Dutta Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 Perhaps the second most intelligent creatures after human will develop their civilization.
StringJunky Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 Perhaps the second most intelligent creatures after human will develop their civilization. ...man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons. - D. Adams
Sriman Dutta Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 Chimpanzees and elephants may fall in the same group.
Prometheus Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 If our extinction was slow and inevitable i'm sure some humans would get together and work on some kind of 'legacy project', anticipating that an intelligence would stumble upon it one day.
StringJunky Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 If our extinction was slow and inevitable i'm sure some humans would get together and work on some kind of 'legacy project', anticipating that an intelligence would stumble upon it one day. If we drive ourselves to extinction, is that information worth saving only to possibly infect some future intelligence with the same flaws; is a clean start not better? What we think is good for us may be bad for them.
DrKrettin Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 If we drive ourselves to extinction, is that information worth saving only to possibly infect some future intelligence with the same flaws; is a clean start not better? What we think is good for us may be bad for them. That rather depends on their view of history. I can imagine it: "Hey, guys, these morons went extinct, so let's not make the same mistake, and let's ignore Newton's Laws...." 1
Itoero Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 Science is not knowledge. I don't think any animals could be said to gain the knowledge that they pass on by using science.Isn't science knowledge which is empirically proven?
Prometheus Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 If we drive ourselves to extinction, is that information worth saving only to possibly infect some future intelligence with the same flaws; is a clean start not better? What we think is good for us may be bad for them. We don't know how rare sentience and civilisation are in the universe. At this point i think we owe it to any beings that follow in our wake to explain what we knew, even if just to tell them what not to do. Isn't science knowledge which is empirically proven? What do you think that means and how do you suppose a dog does it?
Sriman Dutta Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 I wonder if the human race gets extinct then what will happen to our remaining technical tools and equipments like the space station, GPS system, computers and so on ? Perhaps an alien society will seize them.
dimreepr Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 I wonder if the human race gets extinct then what will happen to our remaining technical tools and equipments like the space station, GPS system, computers and so on ? Perhaps an alien society will seize them. In a million years there will be almost no trace of our civilisation, just a load of future geologists wondering what natural process is responsible for all these pockets of concrete?
Sriman Dutta Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 Quite true. But, (since the thread is completely hypothetical) what if human race is artificially eradicated by an extraterrestrial alien community??
dimreepr Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 In that scenario the alien invaders wouldn't gain anything other than rule over the planet; they wouldn't understand anything we say or write (babel fish are fictional) or any of our gadgets, besides they clearly are more advanced/powerful they wouldn't bother to try.
seriously disabled Posted December 28, 2016 Author Posted December 28, 2016 (edited) But advanced aliens don't exist or at least we have no evidence that they exist so this argument is moot. Edited December 28, 2016 by seriously disabled
dimreepr Posted December 28, 2016 Posted December 28, 2016 But advanced aliens don't exist or at least we have no evidence that they exist so this argument is moot yet. Besides the question was hypothetical.
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