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Human Exceptionalism

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Techno Kid, Apr 27, 2014.

  1. Techno Kid

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    Is there a species on this planet, just as intelligent as humans?

    Here is what I say:

    We are understanding more about the universe everyday and one day may understand most of it. As of now we know very little, like maybe less than 1%, but that is 1,000,000% more than what we knew back when we were hunter gatherers.

    If we see a dolphin or another great ape build a space shuttle to explore the cosmos or a telescope to learn about the cosmos I will change my mind, but we have not seen that. Maybe some other animals think about how the universe works, but they can't get as far as us without technology to extend their reach.

    I do however think it is very likely that there is intelligent life out there and that most likely many are more advanced than we are.
     
  2. Argentwing

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    Short answer: yes?

    There is a chance so infinitesimal that we are the only highly intelligent species in the universe that it is not worth considering its possibility. I would bet my life that there are smart aliens somewhere. And hell, given a couple million years, I could similarly estimate that a few species on earth may gain enough brainpower to be respected as equals to current humans.
     
  3. AwesomGaytheist

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    Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for.
     
  4. ChromeNerd

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    Maybe other species are more advanced than us in ways we can't comprehend...
     
  5. Argentwing

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    A good subject for a sci-fi novel, but other than in limited cases like dolphin echolocation, nah. "Outside comprehension" has got to be exceptionally weird, because we can comprehend an awful lot about our environment and I imagine we'd know if they found a backdoor way to do calculus or something.
     
  6. Kreiger

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    You're completely forgetting the crab people.
     
  7. Gwendolyn

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    The lizard people. lol
     
  8. aldine

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    Think about it in a wider scope. For example bees and ants are quite probably socially better organized than us. And then again, what ChromeNerd says is totally possible if we assume we don't understand everything (and I'm totally sure we don't). Imagine for example if certain species is able to communicate by telepathy or something like that? Wouldn't it make them more advanced in a certain way?
     
  9. BelleFromHell

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    As a humanist, I have to say I believe we are the most intelligent species... on this planet.

    I'm open to the possibility of intelligent life on other planets.
     
    #9 BelleFromHell, Apr 27, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2014
  10. Argentwing

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    It would make them more advanced at doing that. Plenty of species can produce their own light or even live forever, but it doesn't set them at a higher evolutionary level than we are. Granted there is no such single hierarchy and humans "dominate" the planet because we got good at killing everything and adapting the environment to us, but we wouldn't consider those species to be intellectual comparisons.
     
  11. aldine

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    That's exactly what I said, and we are more advanced at other things.

    I can't think that a species which lives forever is in a lower or equal evolutionary level as we are.

    Yes, I agree. But we really dominate the planet? I think bacteria have something to say about that :lol:
     
  12. Argentwing

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    A certain species of jellyfish infinitely regenerates, as far as I know. Not sure what it is unfortunately. I'll be taking a google of "immortal jellyfish" after posting :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    And for the most part, yeah we are the apex predators. Not in the small-scale, as big cats, etc. can easily kill us if they get the advantage. But if we make a concerted effort to kill something (some bacteria and insects excluded) it gets dead, even if it is ten kinds of badass. Sometimes we endanger them by accident, which reminds me of this:

    Main/Humans Are Cthulhu - Television Tropes & Idioms

    Speaking of scary, tentacled sea creatures, here's the jellyfish:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii
     
  13. Emulator

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    Our brains do work quite differently
     
  14. Radioactive Bi

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    Judging by many of the humans I have met, it wouldn't come as a suprise to meet other animals equally if not more intelligent.

    Happy days :slight_smile: