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We are special though. Birds carrying burning sticks to spread fires is significantly different from humans: -Starting fires -Using fire to process food -Usi

We are special though. Birds carrying burning sticks to spread fires is significantly different from humans: -Starting fires -Using fire to process food -Using fire to process raw materials into something that can be used for tools, structures etc.

a3n 9y ago
Give them time; we took ours.
- robotresearcher 9y ago
  They've had exactly the same time we had.
- saguro 9y ago
  I don't think all branches of evolution lead to intelligence given any finite amount of time.
  - Rainymood 9y ago
    Of course not, but there just has to be one apart from ours, right? Besides we will all be extinct anyway before that because evolution takes billions of years.
    - saguro 9y ago
      That's probably a question that CS researches will get to address one day in the future... Estimating what percentage of reasonable length DNA arrangements leads to intelligent organisms.
      - throwanem 9y ago
        That's not a meaningful question; it needs selection pressures over time to make sense.
    - tjoff 9y ago
      Has to be one apart from ours? For what? For there to be two special species?
  - hanniabu 9y ago
    I think the real only limiting factor prevent them from accomplishing what we have is that they do not have the limbs and dexterity available which we have. This enabled us to perform many tasks which are out of the question for them. I'd say they do damn well for what their body's allow them to do.
richmarr 9y ago
Sure but not all goalposts were created equal. We talk about the use of tools because it's a very significant conceptual leap. Once you understand that you can manipulate your environment to accomplish your goals the abilities in your list are comparatively incremental. Our use of tools isn't the only measure of specialness, but I'm not sure there are many cognitive leaps quite so significant... language would be one but seems trickier to pin down because there are degrees of sophistication.

a3n 9y ago

Give them time; we took ours.

robotresearcher 9y ago
They've had exactly the same time we had.
saguro 9y ago
I don't think all branches of evolution lead to intelligence given any finite amount of time.
- Rainymood 9y ago
  Of course not, but there just has to be one apart from ours, right? Besides we will all be extinct anyway before that because evolution takes billions of years.
  - saguro 9y ago
    That's probably a question that CS researches will get to address one day in the future... Estimating what percentage of reasonable length DNA arrangements leads to intelligent organisms.
    - throwanem 9y ago
      That's not a meaningful question; it needs selection pressures over time to make sense.
  - tjoff 9y ago
    Has to be one apart from ours? For what? For there to be two special species?
- hanniabu 9y ago
  I think the real only limiting factor prevent them from accomplishing what we have is that they do not have the limbs and dexterity available which we have. This enabled us to perform many tasks which are out of the question for them. I'd say they do damn well for what their body's allow them to do.

richmarr 9y ago

Sure but not all goalposts were created equal. We talk about the use of tools because it's a very significant conceptual leap. Once you understand that you can manipulate your environment to accomplish your goals the abilities in your list are comparatively incremental. Our use of tools isn't the only measure of specialness, but I'm not sure there are many cognitive leaps quite so significant... language would be one but seems trickier to pin down because there are degrees of sophistication.