humans

[ecoli]

I must still hold true to my belief that if an alien came to Earth it would find Homo Sapien to be the most impressive species on the Planet.

 

That would depend completely and utterly how the aliens defined impressive. Who knows what an alien species would find attractive. Maybe they'd think that learning how to live under water was the most amazing advancement they could think of.

[ydoaPs]

No matter how long it takes, it still wouldn't a long time in great sceme of things. Even if we had to start from "stratch."

not really

[The Peon]

Ugh semantics. Low.

 

Either way, I may not understand biology as well as you but regardless, the Alien would still be more impressed with Humans (my reasoning being an Alien which developed technology to space travel would be enigneers like us). The original point of the tread was to say humans are not impressive. And to any mind that can ask "why?" such as ours (the only species on the planet which this is obvious and proven) they would easily choose ours.

[ecoli]

not really

yes really.

[ydoaPs]

Either way' date=' I may not understand biology as well as you but regardless, the Alien would still be more impressed with Humans. The original point of the tread was to say humans are not impressive. And to any mind that can ask "why?" such as ours (the only species on the planet which this is obvious and proven) they would easily choose ours.[/quote']

why would they be impressed with slow, naked, apes that have poor vision and need too cook their food?

[ydoaPs]

yes really.

how so?

[ecoli]

Ugh semantics. Low.

 

Either way' date=' I may not understand biology as well as you but regardless, the Alien would still be more impressed with Humans. The original point of the tread was to say humans are not impressive. And to any mind that can ask "why?" such as ours (the only species on the planet which this is obvious and proven) they would easily choose ours.[/quote']

 

Its only obvious and proven to ourselves, because we proved it to ourselves. We, being ourselves, would want to think we are great and wonderful...but who knows what an outsider might think.

 

(PS. - I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just playing the devil's advocate)

[ecoli]

how so?

 

Because, even if some disaster wipes out nerely all of humanity, were still have, within our genes, the ability and desire to create technology. So even if all our computer technicians die, the human race will still have the ability to produce greats minds with the ability to create new technologies. So who cares if we have to spend some objective time re-evolving to the stage we're at now, as long as its very possible to do so.

[The Peon]

how so?

 

 

Cause we got Nukes and bears dont.

[ydoaPs]

Because, even if some disaster wipes out nerely all of humanity, were still have, within our genes, the ability and desire to create technology. So even if all our computer technicians die, the human race will still have the ability to produce greats minds with the ability to create new technologies. So who cares if we have to spend some objective time re-evolving to the stage we're at now, as long as its very possible to do so.

no food

no hospitals

no stores

no technology

most people wouldn't know how to make most of it

 

in the time it takes to make those, people would get pwned millions of times over.

technology doesn't magically appear out of no where.

 

as for technology=us better, i'll add some font to make sure you see it this time.

OTHER ANIMALS DON'T NEED TECHNOLOGY!

 

 

and in the OP i specifically stated "without our thumbs and big brains"

[The Peon]

no food

no hospitals

no stores

no technology

most people wouldn't know how to make most of it

 

in the time it takes to make those' date=' people would get pwned millions of times over.

technology doesn't magically appear out of no where.

 

as for technology=us better, i'll add some font to make sure you see it this time.

OTHER ANIMALS DON'T NEED TECHNOLOGY!

 

 

and in the OP i specifically stated "without our thumbs and big brains"

 

Youre wrong. Some animals do and NEED techonology. I dont remember which in specific but I know of some that use stones to open nuts, and other objects to eat. Without that technology they would die.

[ydoaPs]

did i say ALL other animals? no.

[The Peon]

did i say ALL other animals? no.

 

Ok this semantic gymnastics is wearing me out.

[ydoaPs]

Ok this semantic gymnastics is wearing me out.

maybe you should not assume i say things i don't

[The Peon]

maybe you should not assume i say things i don't

 

 

*shrugs* You win.

[CPL.Luke]

otters use tools.

 

homo erectus used tools.

 

I can make a spear pretty easily with things I find in the woods. (a good one)

 

I could very easily make a club

 

most people could make a fire.

 

if not you could probably get away with eating raw meat (unless I am unfamiliar with something)

 

 

yourdad you are forgetting about the dozens of tribal cultures that survive every day without technology.

[Xyph]

If we had been more evolutionarily adapted to survive without artificial aids, we probably would never have developed the intelligence we have in the first place. Creatures with big claws, sharp teeth and eyes that can pick out prey that are little more than dots on the horizon don't need to develop technology to survive, or the intelligence to develop it.

 

Granted, there is an intermediate stage in the collective life of (probably) every species that does manage to develop technology, when technology is overindulged in and abundant without actually guarding against any large scale catastrophes, and even preventing further evolution, but this is a necessary stage to reach the point when it will be necessary. When the sun expands and the Earth is roasted, no amount of natural defenses are going to help animals that haven't built the technology to go somewhere else.

 

Still, we could be doing fairly well for all we know. We're the only global civilization we know of that has developed technology, so we don't exactly have anything to measure ourselves against. For all we know, most species with the potential to escape the demise of their sun get locked into a religiously inspired Stone Age early on, and eventually get wiped out. On the other hand, we might be one of the few species without the foresight to implement a system of eugenics and avoid technological overindulgence as soon as such a thing appears necessary. We just have too little experience with technological civilizations to say how well we're doing at the moment.

[insane_alien]

i could make technology needed to survive if i was dumped somewhere without anything.

(fire, clothes, hunting tools (spear, bow and arrow, big rock), shelter if there isn't a handy cave nearby)

[elfstone]

Why exactly should we consider our intelligence a biologically separate attribute? Yes, apart from our intelligence, we are biologically inferior to many species. But it is we who dominate the planet and that's the most important fact to count for species superiority. It is nonsense to consider civilization a drawback despite it being far removed from perfection. Even in the case of a technology destruction event, there is no conspiracy from other species to destroy us. We would suffer a major setback and our chances of survival wouldn't necessarily be lower than other species.

[insane_alien]

umm it could be since i know a lot of people who wouldn't know how to start a fire to keep warm. unless they had a lighter or some matches. they also wouldn't know how to hunt. since there are a lot of people who depend on technology and don't bother learning some basic stuff if technology dissapeared they wouldn't stand much of a chance

[The Peon]

umm it could be since i know a lot of people who wouldn't know how to start a fire to keep warm. unless they had a lighter or some matches. they also wouldn't know how to hunt. since there are a lot of people who depend on technology and don't bother learning some basic stuff if technology dissapeared they wouldn't stand much of a chance

 

While this is true, some would always break through and figure these things out. I find it hard to believe that out of even a pool of 10,000 humans enough would not survive to continue the species.

 

We are also forgetting a good point here, and that being that humans are the only species with enough courage if you will, to wield fire and not run from it. That is a huge evolutionary step, one which probobly propelled us into stardome, above all other techonological advancements. And it took courage, not technology, to reach out and harness fire (most likely from a lightning strike at first).

[ydoaPs]

you guys are a great example of the arrogant, anthropocentric attitude i was talking about.

 

yourdad you are forgetting about the dozens of tribal cultures that survive every day without technology.

no. they use more and more modern technology all the time. some even use guns now. some use sheet metal and concrete. as the world gets closer to them, they become more like the rest of the world.

[ydoaPs]

every once and a while you get those bigotted people that say we are the pinnicle of evolution. frankly, i don't see where that is coming from. we suck. if it weren't for our thumbs and big brains, we would be screwed.[/color'] our eyes suck(kinda odd how many creationists use the human eye as proof of irreducable complexity). most of us don't even have a furry coat. we even keep our genetically weak around long enough to reproduce.

this is the OP. i added some font to help you out.

[The Peon]

you guys are a great example of the arrogant, anthropocentric attitude i was talking about...

 

Grow up. You are not so humble yourself. Im done with this discussion.

[ydoaPs]

Im done with this discussion.

good. you weren't adding to it with your unsupported "humans are teh r0x0rz" claims.