Intelligent life.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:20

I was sitting about the office today and thinking about the usual weird stuff when I began to wonder why, when the Earth has this abundance of life, counted in the billions of different species current and extinct, are we the only ones that has ever shown sapience or intelligent thought as we define it.

Why in amongst those millions of other branches of life have we become the only one?

It just doesn't seem plausible that in the millions of years that evolution has been ongoing that the Human Being is the only form of life on this planet that can think and reason, show judgement and so on.

Anyone have the relevant skills to shed some light on this?

Lysander · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:21

Superior communication.

In before Fox's ridiculous "it's because we have opposable thumbs" theory.

Craig1981 · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:22

Because the day another species showed the first glimmers of intelligence on par with ours, like for example if dogs suddenly started asking for the vote, we'd probably wipe them from existance overnight.

Biohazard · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:23

Potential in the first place + cooking meat + other stuff + luck etc

Mason- · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:25

But other species are intelligent, maybe more intelligent than us, they sit back and watch us destroy the planet.

They can communicate amongst one another, and do show judgement, certain animals don't attack other animals that are much bigger than them etc.

Greenlizard0 · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:26

The same reason why out of all the planets we're aware of, we only know of one that has all the right conditions to bear any life at all. It's seemingly a very small probability when all the correct factors and conditions are put together, but still does occur at some point in time and space.

The odds of winning the lottery is 14 million to 1, but for most weeks in the year somebody gets lucky.

bloodiedathame · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:29

No other creature has mastered fire.

Biohazard · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:30

bloodiedathame said:
No other creature has mastered fire.

dragon

Craig1981 · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:34

What about dolphins? Their meant to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:34

Evolution.

Many animals evolved the wrong way, maybe too specific a direction or too general.

Typically those at the top of a food chain would be the ones to have the opportunity to evolve. If we had not had the potential to be at the top of the food chain we would probably not have had the oportunity for evolution to increase the gap between us and our nearest rivals.

Its quite possible that with a different set of circumstaances say Lions could have evolved differently and become the dominant species. Its unlikely however you look at it that Guinea pigs had the potential to be number 1. Evolution would have had to go millions of times faster than it actually happens for a species such as that to have been able to evolve dramatically enough to become dominant.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:35

Lysander said:
Superior communication.

In before Fox's ridiculous "it's because we have opposable thumbs" theory.

Ok, I accept why we are in the position we are in, that is not really what I am getting at though.

Why are we the only ones?

why hasn't another species evolved with similar skilss at communication, opposable thumbs (or some equivalent) and so?

Why only one species?

Biohazard said:
Potential in the first place + cooking meat + other stuff + luck etc

Again, why only one though. Surely other species have had the potential to evolve as we have?

bloodiedathame said:
No other creature has mastered fire.

I think that the mastery of fire was because of our intelligence and not the cause of it.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:35

Craig1981 said:
What about dolphins? Their meant to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.

Exactly my point, they couldnt really become dominant as they are very specialised. Any aquatic creature is basically pretty specialised, few can tolerate fresh and sea water for example.

Wynthorpe · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:35

I watched "Jurasic Park 3" the other day and according to that, Raptors would have ruled the world if not for the "Cataclysmic" event, I beleive all **** films so this is indeed FACT.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:39

robskinner said:
Evolution.

Many animals evolved the wrong way, maybe too specific a direction or too general.

Typically those at the top of a food chain would be the ones to have the opportunity to evolve. If we had not had the potential to be at the top of the food chain we would probably not have had the oportunity for evolution to increase the gap between us and our nearest rivals.

Its quite possible that with a different set of circumstaances say Lions could have evolved differently and become the dominant species. Its unlikely however you look at it that Guinea pigs had the potential to be number 1. Evolution would have had to go millions of times faster than it actually happens for a species such as that to have been able to evolve dramatically enough to become dominant.

I understand evolution, food chains, predator/prey dynamics and so on, however why have not another similar niche species evolves intellect or sapience like our own.

Someone mentioned Dolphins, but even if they are potentially intelligent, why not more, surely the Earth should be teeming with life that is able to communicate and have civilisations etc....

meghatronic · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:39

I'm pretty sure sex has something to do with it.

Castiel said:
Why only one species?

As God chose us?

Mailed you something you might find interesting.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:40

robskinner said:
Exactly my point, they couldnt really become dominant as they are very specialised. Any aquatic creature is basically pretty specialised, few can tolerate fresh and sea water for example.

Dolphins can.

Dolphins are mammals anyway, and oceanic life is specialized in the same way as land based life in that regard.

Biohazard · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:41

Castiel said:
Again, why only one though. Surely other species have had the potential to evolve as we have?

Others animal groups do have very similar or matching things like social groups and behavours.

They have never had the same circumstances we had, and our 'composition' pre evolution before our adaption to controlling the environment instead of using it.

I'm sure you're pretty versed on evolutionary theory.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:43

meghatronic said:
I'm pretty sure sex has something to do with it.

I'm pretty sure that we are not the only species to have sex. We may be the only one that made an industry out of it though....

meghatronic said:
As God chose us?

Heaven forbid....

meghatronic said:
Mailed you something you might find interesting.

Haven't received it yet, look forward to seeing what it is.

EDIT: got it, and yes I will read that anon, you're right I will find that very interesting.

Castiel · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:45

Biohazard said:
Others animal groups do have very similar or matching things like social groups and behavours.

They have never had the same circumstances we had, and our 'composition' pre evolution before our adaption to controlling the environment instead of using it.

I'm sure you're pretty versed on evolutionary theory.

Granted, and yes I understand evolution pretty well.

However, surely sapience is not so specialised a trait that only one species amongst the millions, if not billion of species that have inhabited the Earth could have evolved with it.

Greenlizard0 · 23 Mar 2011 at 21:46

I hope it isn't gay porn.

Intelligent life.

Capodecina