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Would our physical abilities not play a role in our ability to "rule" the world? We're relatively large animals, blessed with arms, finger, thumbs and a remarka
by spideymans 6y ago
Would our physical abilities not play a role in our ability to "rule" the world? We're relatively large animals, blessed with arms, finger, thumbs and a remarkable degree of physical dexterity. These physical abilities collectively enable us to physically manipulate the world.
Or in other words, if dolphins had arms and thumbs (or generally any physical attributes that allows them to manipulate their environment as humans do), would it crazy to suggest that they could dominate the seas, as humans dominate land?
- liability 6y agoBesides lacking thumbs, dolphins would also have a pretty hard time harnessing fire as a tool. This probably truncates their tech tree severely.
- spideymans 6y agoIt would truncate the human tech tree. It's anybody's guess what a Dolphin-based tech tree would look like, given their environmental constraints.
- outworlder 6y ago> Besides lacking thumbs, dolphins would also have a pretty hard time harnessing fire as a tool. I keep reading about this, and I don't see it as a major problem. Sure, it might take a while for them to even grasp the concept of fire. Much like it took us a while to grasp relativity. However, once they know it to be possible, it's an engineering problem. They can build their forges above water. Holding breath to operate them (until they can do it remotely) is inconvenient but they are pretty good at it. There's also a fair bit of construction they could do without even resorting to that. Humans can weld underwater. They could too.
- NobodyNada 6y ago> Holding breath to operate them (until they can do it remotely) is inconvenient but they are pretty good at it. Nitpick: Dolphins breathe air.
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoHumans can weld underwater - with equipment that they built on dry land, using materials that they created on dry land. Could they have created the materials underwater? It would have been hard, even knowing how.
- TheRealSteel 6y agoDolphins are mammals like us. They're holding their breath when they're underwater like us :P
- bdamm 6y agoTrue, but perhaps they could harness technology we never thought of as valuable. Perhaps they could build structures around sea vents, or use sticks and weeds to build pens in which to farm fish. Many possibilities exist. They could even be doing agriculture right now and we wouldn't even know it.
- worldsayshi 6y agoI like your ideas but without dexterous extremities it at least a very versatile mouth it seems you'd be very limited in your capacity to control or shape your environment.
- bdamm 6y agoDolphins do have a versatile mouth. Even seals have been trained to do fancy things with their mouths. But staying on the dolphin theme, check out these dolphins blowing air rings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT-fctr32pE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT-fctr32pE
- p1necone 6y agoI'm endlessly grateful that Raccoons aren't more intelligent.
- outworlder 6y agoYet. Coexisting near humans, it's likely that the environment will incentivize smarter raccoons.
- cgriswald 6y agoI think it’s the opposite. Any idiot raccoon can raid a trash can and get lots of calories. And unlike rats we are generally not out there looking to kill them.