4 ms·

The general sentiment is spot on - animals are amazing, complicated, sophisticated, and we will continue to be "humbled" over and over again, but maybe you've g

by NiloCK 3y ago

The general sentiment is spot on - animals are amazing, complicated, sophisticated, and we will continue to be "humbled" over and over again, but maybe you've gone too far. A few candidate "unique to humans" characteristics: - surgical replacement of defective organs. I wouldn't be surprised if some animals have processes for amputations - especially insects - but I'd be pretty surprised if there are any kidney transplants going on. - written language systems for durable information passing, phonetic alphabet systems. As far as I know, a phonetic alphabet was invented only once among humans, which makes it a rarity even for us. - haircuts. This one is super plausibly wrong, but I don't think that any animals do this, and its a good example of something that they could do but just don't.

dwighttk 3y ago
Wear clothes Write about history no one currently alive has seen Make music Go to space Theorize
- groestl 3y ago
  > Make music > Theorize Not sure about those.
- CaptainMarvel 3y ago
  Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells Make music - I know that birds sing, and a quick Google search shows whales and seals seem to make "music" as well Theorize - Depending on what you mean of course (but I agree with you about e.g. scientific hypotheses to be tested), but as an example apparently birds "theorize about the minds of others", again by Google search Writing - Definitely a stretch here (and so I agree with you) but animals do leave chemical markings for others
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - andsoitis 3y ago
    > Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells You show me one outfit, I raise you an entire textile, clothing, and fashion industry allowing us to show our features in displays of status all the way to enabling us to walk in space.
    - wizzwizz4 3y ago
      Sounds like industry is the unique part, then, not clothing.
    - burnished 3y ago
      So a difference in degree then, not kind
      - andsoitis 3y ago
        Both degree and kind. While hermit crabs and other animals who wear garments do very little manufacturing (they use something as is or do some “minor” fashioning), the techniques and kinds of clothes we make are of a totally different sophistication. Our clothes allow us to enter ecosystems and hostile environments, for example. Our clothing is both functional and cultural. Etc.
  - dwighttk 3y ago
    Wear items of clothing that aren’t scavenged detritus Compose music
- vinhcognito 3y ago
  > Wear clothes - I've definitely seen pigeons sport around a piece of bread like a luxury jacket. > Theorize - I always thought cats who look at a gap for a while before jumping are theorizing if/how to make the jump.
- calepayson 3y ago
  > Go to space Laika does not approve of this message :)
Kim_Bruning 3y ago
> As far as I know, a phonetic alphabet was invented only once among humans, which makes it a rarity even for us. A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration?
- andsoitis 3y ago
  > A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration? I think you're thinking "alphabet", which indeed, has been independently invented multiple times. The most widely used alphabet is the one derived from the Phoenician script. Other alphabets that were independently invented include the Brahmic scripts and the Hangul script. However, the "phonetic alphabet" (also known as the NATO phonetic alphabet) was only invented once. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet#
  - Tijdreiziger 3y ago
    Why would it only have been invented once? Various spelling/phone alphabets are and have been in use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_alphabet
    - andsoitis 3y ago
      There was indeed a first invention from which others were inspired, if my history knowledge is accurate and the Wikipedia article is read carefully. In contrast, alphabets have been invented multiple times completely independently without knowledge of the others.
- hoseja 3y ago
  Yes, that seems to be the case.
- funnybeam 3y ago
orangepanda 3y ago
Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs?
- andsoitis 3y ago
  > Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs? Over time, humans have demonstrated a vastly more impactful ability to manipulate our environment and ourselves than any other living organism we have encountered.

by NiloCK 3y ago

dwighttk 3y ago

Wear clothes Write about history no one currently alive has seen Make music Go to space Theorize

groestl 3y ago
> Make music > Theorize Not sure about those.
CaptainMarvel 3y ago
Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells Make music - I know that birds sing, and a quick Google search shows whales and seals seem to make "music" as well Theorize - Depending on what you mean of course (but I agree with you about e.g. scientific hypotheses to be tested), but as an example apparently birds "theorize about the minds of others", again by Google search Writing - Definitely a stretch here (and so I agree with you) but animals do leave chemical markings for others
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- andsoitis 3y ago
  > Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells You show me one outfit, I raise you an entire textile, clothing, and fashion industry allowing us to show our features in displays of status all the way to enabling us to walk in space.
  - wizzwizz4 3y ago
    Sounds like industry is the unique part, then, not clothing.
  - burnished 3y ago
    So a difference in degree then, not kind
    - andsoitis 3y ago
      Both degree and kind. While hermit crabs and other animals who wear garments do very little manufacturing (they use something as is or do some “minor” fashioning), the techniques and kinds of clothes we make are of a totally different sophistication. Our clothes allow us to enter ecosystems and hostile environments, for example. Our clothing is both functional and cultural. Etc.
- dwighttk 3y ago
  Wear items of clothing that aren’t scavenged detritus Compose music
vinhcognito 3y ago
> Wear clothes - I've definitely seen pigeons sport around a piece of bread like a luxury jacket. > Theorize - I always thought cats who look at a gap for a while before jumping are theorizing if/how to make the jump.
calepayson 3y ago
> Go to space Laika does not approve of this message :)

Kim_Bruning 3y ago

> As far as I know, a phonetic alphabet was invented only once among humans, which makes it a rarity even for us. A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration?

andsoitis 3y ago
> A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration? I think you're thinking "alphabet", which indeed, has been independently invented multiple times. The most widely used alphabet is the one derived from the Phoenician script. Other alphabets that were independently invented include the Brahmic scripts and the Hangul script. However, the "phonetic alphabet" (also known as the NATO phonetic alphabet) was only invented once. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet#
- Tijdreiziger 3y ago
  Why would it only have been invented once? Various spelling/phone alphabets are and have been in use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_alphabet
  - andsoitis 3y ago
    There was indeed a first invention from which others were inspired, if my history knowledge is accurate and the Wikipedia article is read carefully. In contrast, alphabets have been invented multiple times completely independently without knowledge of the others.
hoseja 3y ago
Yes, that seems to be the case.
funnybeam 3y ago

orangepanda 3y ago

Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs?

andsoitis 3y ago
> Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs? Over time, humans have demonstrated a vastly more impactful ability to manipulate our environment and ourselves than any other living organism we have encountered.