Why do we, the human kind, thrive

[Zerzera]

do you know why i hate socialism? communsim? it's because in those societies, idiots will be kept alive.

“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.”

- Joseph Stalin


As for Stalin, when the holes in Conquest’s estimates are filled in, I calculate that Stalin murdered about 43,000,000 citizens and foreigners, over twice Conquest’s total. Therefore, the usual estimate of 20 million killed in Soviet democide is far off for the Soviet Union per se, and even less than half of the total Stalin alone murdered.

- R. J. Rummel, Professor Emeritus at the Univerisity of Hawaii

[Facetious]

Just because YOU'RE only slightly smarter than the average animal doesn't mean the rest of us as dumb as you, TelCat.

[Jerome Scuggs]

“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.”

- Joseph Stalin


As for Stalin, when the holes in Conquest’s estimates are filled in, I calculate that Stalin murdered about 43,000,000 citizens and foreigners, over twice Conquest’s total. Therefore, the usual estimate of 20 million killed in Soviet democide is far off for the Soviet Union per se, and even less than half of the total Stalin alone murdered.

- R. J. Rummel, Professor Emeritus at the Univerisity of Hawaii

most of those people were people smart enough to have a political opinion, which got them killed. stupid people thrive!

[Squeezer]

Because we're smarter than all other animals....Except maybe those fucking dolphins.

[Nickname]

for the record, i hate telcat too

haha, last i checked, animals can't spell either.

[Fluffz]

Because we're smarter than all other animals....Except maybe those fucking dolphins.

and mice

[T3l Ca7]

to telcat:

Human beings have language. They are able to communicate with each other in an advanced manner.

Animals do not have language. Before you go on and argue that cows say "moo", let me point out to you that these are signalling systems. Animals do not have anything even remotely close to the communicative capabilities of humans, and some scholars believe this is the feature which sets us most apart from the rest of the animals.

Dolphins do, whales do. Are we going to have this argument that it does not matter because they live in the water?!

We hit a technological boom in the 1800s but when you're talking about technology in a prehistory context you have to recognize that the very basics matter. An axe as simple as we see it 30,000 years ago was a very sophisticated tool. A bow, a sword, paper, cooking utensils, writing tools ect... are all extremely important

Have you seen those tools that were made more than 50,000 years ago? They were merely stones that had been shaped on another stones - can hardly been called 'impressive' by today's standard, if we discount the fact they were made long long ago.


I think we thrive because we live in large communities. And the fact we can record our inventions had helped us way more than any of you have realised.

Let's use maths, because it is the language of science.

Say there is only 0.01% of the chance for any of us to make a discovery. Then a community of 10 would statistically have 0.11% of making a discovery. But a community of 10,000 would have roughly 67.6% (0.9999 ^ 10,000) of the chance to make a discovery in the period of an average person's life time.


Imagine in a community of 1,000,000! Since we can communicate and record. Basically what is done by one person can be known by many in years time. Then people can make discoveries on top of those had already been made.

[gran guerrero]

Let's use maths

ok

[MetalHeadz]

Yo guys, why you being so harsh to telcat, what the fuck? Absolutely no need for the obscene slander she got...'Ohh, it's popular to diss one person'. Big FUCK YOU going to you people.

Learn some manners; cunts.

[Chao.]

Please tell me you don't seriously think the arguments you make have any real logic in them, Telcat. Tell me you do this to get attention and make everyone force you to "see the light", so at least in some small way you aren't completely ignored and worthless. Please tell me you aren't actually this fucking retarded.

Please?

[Kolar]

Prior to forming communities we have made major developments in technology at most every 200 years. Complex societies and priorities have quickened the time between technological leaps, but again no other animal on the face of the planet has come even close to the intelligence and complexity required to do what we have done. Larger communities and the ability to pass on knowledge is an important aspect to it but not the whole picture.

[megaman89]

wow jerome's first post was brilliant. :bigups:

[Ignominy]

wow jerome's first post was brilliant. :bigups:

yeah it was

[Vykromond]

Let's use maths, because it is the language of science.

[Mythrandir]

Now think about it, we are not strong, neither are we very fast. I wouldn't say we are particularly versatile either ... but why to we thrive? Why are there almost 6 billion of us on this planet?

Sure we have slightly higher intelligence, but there are animals that can use tools, that can communicate, that know to act as a team.

So why do we, human thrive?

Not versatile? How can you possibly claim such a thing? The ability to adapt, as a single organism, is probably the most defining characteristic of the human species.

The question 'why do humans thrive' is not by itself stupid, but you've already included a number of assumptions which are not necessarily related to the question. Properties such as intelligence, communication or teamwork are next to meaningless within the context of viruses or plants - both of which can thrive, and even diminish the human species if one particularly malicious kind finds its way on earth.