In an infinite universe what's the real difference, humans vs mammals

Until we start tinkering in depth with our own...who wins out then?

 

DNA always win. It exists there for it has won. We die. DNA goes on...until the sun explodes at least.

 

The breakthrough is our capacity to predict the future... to model the world around us and "rehearse" our actions before they are carried out.

 

Even though I think it's more projecting the future based on keen observations, and detailed, transferrable and enduring communication, I still really like this answer.

 

Possible sarcasm aside, I think the OP has created a nice discussion piece; whatever the original intent. That actually tends to be the case with most of these types of threads.

 

They wouldn't.

Water covers two thirds of the planet. What's the most intelligent animal in the water? Dolphins. That's who aliens would attempt to communicate with.

 

Assuming they land on the water. But good, good answer.

 

Why would they know what a dolphin is?

 

I think they would attempt to communicate with corn. It has covered large sections of the land and has humans nurturing it and propagating it year round.

 

Except that we eat corn and process it into all sorts of other stuff. If the aliens are going to look for what species has hit the top of our planetary evolution. I would say toy poodles. Consider that we humans feed them, shelter them, give them health care and even pick up their poop yet they don't return anything materially to us. The toy poodles have evolutionary succeeded by making the most intelligent creature serve them without having to give anything in return.

 

'Cept for their nuts.

Sadly, cats are the dominant species.

 

Can communicate (phones), travel on land (car), swim (all kinds of water travel), jump, crawl, climb, fly (airplanes) and (for better or worse) kill better than other mammals.

Whether these things are innate is not important. The important thing is that, as humans, we have been able to progress in all those areas until no other mammal can match us in a contest.

Ofcourse, it all comes down to the brain. But I imagine that, from the outside looking in, this is what you would want to spot. Which mammal can finish off the rest if it became necessary. In our case, it's very easy to tell.

Just like if we went to another planet, we'd find the species which does all those things and communicate with them.

 

Intelligent anough to travel billions of light years across the universe to come here.....and then not be able to work out if they should be talking to the Humans or the ants.


You all get an F! :grin:

 

Obviously they would only be here to serve man.

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Well cats do aid in pest control so we are getting something from them.

 

If that was the case then viruses and bacteria would win.

 

In a world with no inventions you're right. But today, we are superior because, well, we're still alive.

If the aliens come and see a world ravaged by bacteria/viruses, then yeah. But that's not the case at present.

 

A lot of other animals are alive and in greater numbers than us, such as rats and cockroaches, and they have even survived our attempts to eradicate them so does that mean they are superior?

Depends what you mean by ravaged. Bacteria and viruses are ubiquitous, in fact according to some estimates there are more bacteria on and in your body than your own cells. At the sametime we are only a few harmful mutations away from having a disease wipe us out. Consider if Ebola became as easily transmitted as the flu. While yes our technology has done a lot to keep us around and healthy enough to spread over the globe we have yet to defeat even a simple rhinovirus from infecting us.

 

Mehh. I never said anything about greater numbers, did I?

It's not about numbers. But the best at doing all those things I mentioned is superior.

That's true. But that is statistics/chance/luck (mutations). We can kill any bacteria at any moment. We can decide not to do so. We are smart enough to know when to and when not to do so. Bacteria doesn't do all that. It's the brain that counts.

Again, I think the OP did not want to attach any preconditions like the ones you're attaching. I don't care IF the mutation happens since it's a matter of luck. Who is the most dominant species? It's us. It's not even close. There are minute arguments here and there I guess, but if a war broke out, we'd be last ones standing barring bad luck.

 

Some estimates have ants composing 15% of the earth's biomass. They make buildings, declare war, own slaves, tend plants, and do other "humanlike" things.

They'll probably still be around when we're gone.

Unless we're able to download human consciousness into the internet.

Take that DNA.