HUMANS

[HONDO74]

An interesting article from the BBC

Would humans evolve again if we rewound time.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2019070 ... wound-time

Our species emerged as a result of a mind-bending number of random events and mutations, but it may also have been inevitable that humans, or something like us, would walk the Earth.



By James Horton and Tiffany Taylor From The Conversation
10 July 2019

Gould reckoned that if time was rewound, then evolution would drive life down a completely different path and humans would never re-evolve. In fact, he felt humanity’s evolution was so rare that we could replay the tape of life a million times and we wouldn’t see anything like Homo sapiens arise again.

His reasoning was that chance events play a huge role in evolution. These include enormous mass extinction events – such as cataclysmic asteroid impacts and volcanic eruptions. But chance events also operate at the molecular scale. Genetic mutation, which forms the basis of evolutionary adaptation, is reliant on chance events.

[up148]

Our daily existence is filled with "a mind bending number of random events"'. We might have all been flowers or pigs or viruses or neurons or .....maybe we are and just don't know it. Watch out for that blue pill.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Perhaps, this may be relevant to a thread entitled "Humans" :
Erich Von Daniken, Chariots of the Gods. and its "ancient astronauts" theory ?

[HONDO74]

Perhaps, this may be relevant to a thread entitled "Humans" :
Erich Von Daniken, Chariots of the Gods. and its "ancient astronauts" theory ?

Chariots of the Gods?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariots_of_the_Gods%3F

It involves the hypothesis that the technologies and religions of many ancient civilizations were given to them by ancient astronauts who were welcomed as gods.

theory or hypothesis ? We may never know the answer.

Von Däniken's book, and such of his subsequent publications as Gods From Outer Space and The Gold Of The Gods, have drawn largely negative receptions from the academic mainstream despite being popular best-sellers. Many scientists and historians have rejected his ideas, claiming that the book's conclusions were based on faulty, pseudoscientific evidence, some of which was later demonstrated to be fraudulent or fabricated, and under illogical premises.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Von Däniken's

Was popular back in the early 70s.........

[HONDO74]

With all the thousands of creatures that existed on planet earth, it almost seems illogical that only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Maybe humans are an alien creature.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.......only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Is that a true statement?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Von Däniken's

Was popular back in the early 70s.........

So?
I would have bet the house that that would have been your (typical ) initial reply, to tish-tosh the statement as "oh we all heard of that before ." So WHAT! How 'bout adding something non-condescending and, instead, actually substantive to this prospective "conversation"? Huh? Huh?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

.......only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Is that a true statement?

Why wouldn't it be?
Or why would it be?
Is any other creature on Earth as capable of deep communication and exchange of ideas as we are due to having developed language which facilitates such depth?

Our genetic makeup is so close to that of chimps; yet, their voice boxes simply cannot perform speaking words, i.e. language.
Maybe dolphins and whales are gibbering to each other, and even trying to say "Howdy" to us at times, but what of theirs, or any other animal on Earth , could compare to our depth of communication via such avenues as architecture; philosophy; medicine; science ? Even the fine arts and literature?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Von Däniken's

Was popular back in the early 70s.........

So?
I would have bet the house that that would have been your (typical ) initial reply, to tish-tosh the statement as "oh we all heard of that before ." So WHAT! How 'bout adding something non-condescending and, instead, actually substantive to this prospective "conversation"? Huh? Huh?

Gosh, a little over reaction there - out in the rain too much today or too much sun on the head frying the brain?

All that meant was I read that stuff back in the 70's and if you didn't actually think very much, it was very compelling; if you thought about it, it was like reading the science version of the tabloid journalism in the checkout line at the grocery which as I recall is where a lot of stories about aliens congregate

[HONDO74]

.......only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Is that a true statement?

it almost seems illogical that only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Actually it is a question not a statement. Just my thoughts about it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.......only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Is that a true statement?

Why wouldn't it be?
Or why would it be?
Is any other creature on Earth as capable of deep communication and exchange of ideas as we are due to having developed language that facilitates such depth?

Maybe dolphins and whales are gibbering to each other, and even trying to say "Howdy" to us at times, but what of theirs, or any other animal on Earth , could compare to our depth of communication via such avenues as architecture; philosophy; medicine; science ? Even the fine arts and literature?

Apes can be taught to use sign language and communicate, and paint. Some humans fail at all of those. Maybe humans are over-rated? I've had better conversations with turnips than with some humans. Boil them 1st - the turnips.... Some of the e-mail I've had arrive today makes me question humanity's claim on possessing intelligence.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Regarding the checkout aisle in grocery stores, I don't hang out there, much, nor do I seek knowledge in that aisle . This latest glob of info came to me today (again) via the History Channel. (That's been around a while, too.)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.......only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Is that a true statement?

it almost seems illogical that only humans would have evolved with intelligence.

Actually it is a question not a statement. Just my thoughts about it.

I'm thinking about not thinking about thinking about it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I don't hang out there, nor do I seek knowledge in that aisle . This latest glob of info came to me today (again) via the History Channel. (That's been around a while, too.)

The History Channel is oft times only slightly better than the tabloids.