What Made Humans So Different

[Hard as Nails]

Although this is not a religious topic, i will try to use some stuff here to prove that humans arent really anything special, and that a soal is not necessary for our level of intelligence. The question? Which attributes of those old "monkeys" allowed us to evolve into what we are today. Opposable thumbs and a tool-making brains surely helped. Where did human emotions and highly evolved speech come from? We were so smart that survival was not a day to day struggle, so we had to fill our time with something.....maybe. Why do you think we enjoy TV and boxing matches so much? Maybe, we go to war with eachother because we have no other animals to fend off. Truely humanity is just ONE BIG pack.

[wendylove]

The question? Which attributes of those old "monkeys" allowed us to evolve into what we are today.[/b] We evolved from apes not monkeys their is a huge difference between apes and monkeys. Opposable thumbs and a tool-making brains surely helped. [/b] Also large open fields that were more suitable for a upright stright back then a bent back. Where did human emotions and highly evolved speech come from? We were so smart that survival was not a day to day struggle, so we had to fill our time with something.....maybe.[/b] Well no see humans developed emotion and speech to communicate with each other when hunting for food. Since we needed to use tools this gave us a intelligence boost from evolution. See we didn't survive that good as evolutionary speeking our bodies our weak and can't repair themselves good. In focus it said that because of the death rates evolution sold us out by giving us a weak body that can't repair itself and this is why we don't live longer. Why do you think we enjoy TV and boxing matches so much? Maybe, we go to war with eachother because we have no other animals to fend off.[/b] Thats down to personailty because some people don't like boxing or fighting in general. Well war is not due to blood lust I asure you like better standard of living and freedom are more the reason to fight. I was just wondering what does evolution hold next. You know telekinsis, flying, telepath are they evolutionary possible.

[Bonsay]

I was just wondering what does evolution hold next. You know telekinsis, flying, telepath are they evolutionary possible. [/b] Srephen Hawking says that cyber-humans are the next step of evolution and I don't see a reason to disagree. There probably will not be telekinesis or flying as an evolutionary step, do you think we need it? And besides, if we want to keep a constant reality, there is a common disbelief in those kind of thigs. Evolution will only give you what you need to survive in the current situation. Eaven though I'm greatly exaggerating, we are more likely to become armless worms, since we have machines doing everything.

[Moonbeam]

Truely humanity is just ONE BIG pack. [/b] More like a lot of tribes and sub-tribes. This tribal identification, which has lost its evolutionary context, causes conflict. It would be better (if you think less fighting and killing is a good thing) if people did consider themself one big pack.

[Geves]

Yeah we have far too easy of a life (in major countries), to develop cool things like claws, sonar, venom, and quills Which really supports the theory that the human race isn't really that old. Animals have this stuff because millions of years of evolution. 130,000 years is as far as we can trace ourselves...all we got to show for it is skyscrapers, computers, and a bunch of other material possessions that aren't important for survival. Sure we got some survival technology, but what happens when you put an untrained human into a dense forest with nothing but their "superior" brain? Most people put into that situation die from either lack of water or a heart attack (yes it's true. it's the number 1 cause of death in survival situations) due to physical fitness. We sure are superior... As for flying/telepathy... this basicly boils down to the misconception that humans only use 10% of their brain and that evolution will allow us to use more in the future. The truth is we use 100% of our brain, just 10% (a estimate anyways) is used for thinking.. unless we stay on track with having robots ect.. do EVERY single action for us including breathing, control our heart, and a bunch of other stuff. It will take thousands of years to unlearn all of that (if it's even possible), before we can truly evolve to using more of our brains for thinking. As "Waking Life" put it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saxX-Z6w3p4 Who knows what evolution holds? We'll probably be wipped from the planet before we ever have the chance, due to overhunting our food sources *cough Japan cough*. evolution is probably heading towards a digestive system that can withstand and grow from plants (out of nessessity)... I'd rather have claws, strips, and gills. EDITED: cuz i couldn't get embeeded to work, hopefully evolution will correct this too.

[Howie]

Environment

[imaginefication]

Many researchers agree that the first step was when a large portion of rainforest receeded and chimps were forced out into large open plain lands in east africa, now referred to as the 'cradle of life'. No one can say for sure what the next step was, but I think Terrence Mckenna's theory is interesting. I'll briefly explain it. Since chimps mostly live off fruit, nuts, and hunting monkeys, they would have difficulty finding food in the plains, it would take ages for them to develope the ability to hunt the plain animals. One food alternative would be mushrooms, very nutritious and a good source of the much needed protein. Chimps are clever enough to recognize which mushrooms make them sick and which ones are edible. Amongst the edible mushrooms are a plethra of psychoactive mushrooms, which contain hallucinogens that have proven mutagenic effects on DNA. The chimps didn't necessarily always feel the effects of the mushrooms, because the drugs cause such a rapid tolerance, but the mutagenic effects would still be happening. This may have been the most important catalyst in our evolution that explains why we evolved so rapidly in the first stages. Ofcourse there is no real proof for the theory, so I don't really believe anything for sure, I just think its logical. Maybe the religous fanatics are right and all the fossils that prove our evolution were put there by the devil so we wouldn't think the bible was 100% accurate

[HereWeGo]

Yeah we have far too easy of a life (in major countries), to develop cool things like claws, sonar, venom, and quills Which really supports the theory that the human race isn't really that old. Animals have this stuff because millions of years of evolution. 130,000 years is as far as we can trace ourselves...all we got to show for it is skyscrapers, computers, and a bunch of other material possessions that aren't important for survival. Sure we got some survival technology, but what happens when you put an untrained human into a dense forest with nothing but their "superior" brain? [/b] There are already humans that live in the forest without technology

[CymekSniper]

Many researchers agree that the first step was when a large portion of rainforest receeded and chimps were forced out into large open plain lands in east africa, now referred to as the 'cradle of life'. No one can say for sure what the next step was, but I think Terrence Mckenna's theory is interesting. I'll briefly explain it. Since chimps mostly live off fruit, nuts, and hunting monkeys, they would have difficulty finding food in the plains, it would take ages for them to develope the ability to hunt the plain animals. One food alternative would be mushrooms, very nutritious and a good source of the much needed protein. Chimps are clever enough to recognize which mushrooms make them sick and which ones are edible. Amongst the edible mushrooms are a plethra of psychoactive mushrooms, which contain hallucinogens that have proven mutagenic effects on DNA. The chimps didn't necessarily always feel the effects of the mushrooms, because the drugs cause such a rapid tolerance, but the mutagenic effects would still be happening. This may have been the most important catalyst in our evolution that explains why we evolved so rapidly in the first stages. Ofcourse there is no real proof for the theory, so I don't really believe anything for sure, I just think its logical. Maybe the religous fanatics are right and all the fossils that prove our evolution were put there by the devil so we wouldn't think the bible was 100% accurate [/b] Possible. Keep an open mind my friend, it is possible god and evolution are both true. Just something I wanted to add: War, as long as a free will exists on this planet, will never stop

[Geves]

There are already humans that live in the forest without technology [/b] but what happens when you put an untrained human into a dense forest with nothing but their "superior" brain?[/b]

[HereWeGo]

True, true but the same goes for an Untrained animal I should say. Put one in a dense city he he dense, see how long it survives. No street cats animls like that and foxes dont count. They lived near cities long enough to know how to survive in one k

[imaginefication]

Possible. Keep an open mind my friend, it is possible god and evolution are both true. Just something I wanted to add: War, as long as a free will exists on this planet, will never stop [/b] I agree with the possibility of a creator, I hope there is one, I just don't say I know for sure. I don't know what your last statement had to do with the topic, but it can't be proven, free will itself can't even be proven.

[Neruo]

I think humans arn't more special then animals. Yes, we are smart and have the luck that we can use that smart in ways, (through society, try having super-intelligent-dolphins to build a nuke (without help)), that we can invent stuff like A-bombs. Wow. A-bombs. That makes us smart. You know why? Because we say it makes is smart, and for no other reason. We might be capable of some things, but are incapable of even more. Like of not killing each other on massive scale for no good reason. We really suck at not-doing-that. Concluding: We are animals.

[imaginefication]

Just looking at our relationship to the planet, the only difference between us and other animals is we are parasites, and other animals help the planet. As far as the Earth is concerned we are an infectious disease that is rapidly consuming and destroying it.

[Moonbeam]

Amongst the edible mushrooms are a plethra of psychoactive mushrooms, which contain hallucinogens that have proven mutagenic effects on DNA. The chimps didn't necessarily always feel the effects of the mushrooms, because the drugs cause such a rapid tolerance, but the mutagenic effects would still be happening. This may have been the most important catalyst in our evolution that explains why we evolved so rapidly in the first stages. [/b] That is interesting; I haven't heard that idea before. Another theory: after leaving the trees, scavenging bones for marrow and eating more fat helped the brain to grow bigger (mostly made of fat.)