Human projection: space aliens, monsters, and rebellious robots

Started by Hydra009, April 28, 2018, 10:32:35 PM

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Gawdzilla Sama

Quote from: Hydra009 on April 30, 2018, 12:58:04 AM
No doubt every other species on the planet would share that perspective if they had the intelligence to formulate it.  Flowering plants - the apex of evolution.  Crocodiles - the apex of evolution.  Cockroaches - the apex of evolution.  It's all true, from a certain point of view.  :)
And we were dumb animals for the vast majority of that time. Right up to the last presidential election, at least.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

SGOS

Here's a clip from an article that might cause wonder about how reasonable it is to expect intelligence as an evolutionary advantage is likely to show up in the tree of life.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2015/05/dolphin-intelligence-human-communication/

QuoteThe last common ancestor of humans and chimps lived some six million years ago. By comparison cetaceans such as dolphins split off from the rest of the mammal lineage about 55 million years ago, and they and primates haven’t shared an ancestor for 95 million years.

We don't know what the common ancestor between primates and cetaceans was, but it was a long time ago.   We are talking about a critter that existed even before the dinosaurs disappeared.   If the seed for intelligence was already in that common ancestor, it seems doubtful that it would have been developed much at all.  So from a very primitive state, a high degree of intelligence seems to have evolved independently at least twice on Earth.  But not all types of intelligence are the same.  Look at how different human and dolphin intelligence are.

This is speculation.  I hope I'm not taking too many liberties here, but it's interesting to think about.

Baruch

Quote from: SGOS on April 30, 2018, 08:34:11 AM
Here's a clip from an article that might cause wonder about how reasonable it is to expect intelligence as an evolutionary advantage is likely to show up in the tree of life.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2015/05/dolphin-intelligence-human-communication/

We don't know what the common ancestor between primates and cetaceans was, but it was a long time ago.   We are talking about a critter that existed even before the dinosaurs disappeared.   If the seed for intelligence was already in that common ancestor, it seems doubtful that it would have been developed much at all.  So from a very primitive state, a high degree of intelligence seems to have evolved independently at least twice on Earth.  But not all types of intelligence are the same.  Look at how different human and dolphin intelligence are.

This is speculation.  I hope I'm not taking too many liberties here, but it's interesting to think about.

Early mammals, in the Cretaceous, needed to be smart enough to avoid being dinosaur food.  It helped to be small or tree dwelling or aquatic, since being large and land dwelling made you a tastier target.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Unbeliever

God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Unbeliever

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on April 30, 2018, 07:14:11 AM
And we were dumb animals for the vast majority of that time. Right up to the last presidential election, at least.
I think the last presidential election proves that we're still dumb animals.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

Quote from: Unbeliever on April 30, 2018, 02:02:01 PM
I think the last presidential election proves that we're still dumb animals.

Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, or a citizen out of a voter.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Unbeliever

You should be making bumper stickers...or fortune cookies.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

Quote from: Unbeliever on May 01, 2018, 01:25:16 PM
You should be making bumper stickers...or fortune cookies.

Fortune cookies were invented in LA, so some say.  Don't blame Confucius.

I once did have the bumper sticker "Who is John Galt?" ... but that was many decades ago.  That was when I lived in California.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on April 29, 2018, 08:43:51 AM
Ah, you haven't realized that rude people will pull your leg completely off and not hand it back.

It has to be a bit more obvious.  *I* have been known to pull someone's leg and discover it in my hand afterwards...

Awkward...
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!