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Besides lacking thumbs, dolphins would also have a pretty hard time harnessing fire as a tool. This probably truncates their tech tree severely.

spideymans 6y ago
It 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 ago
  Humans 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 ago
  Dolphins are mammals like us. They're holding their breath when they're underwater like us :P
bdamm 6y ago
True, 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 ago
  I 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 ago
    Dolphins 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

spideymans 6y ago

It 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 ago
Humans 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 ago
Dolphins are mammals like us. They're holding their breath when they're underwater like us :P

bdamm 6y ago

True, 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 ago
I 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 ago
  Dolphins 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