Still Waters Posted May 16, 2022 #1 Share Posted May 16, 2022 We need to dispel the arrogant and misguided idea that modern humans are superior to earlier human species. It is thanks in part to all our predecessors such as Neanderthals that we are who we are today. This is what Marie Soressi, Professor of Hominin Diversity Archaeology, will argue in her inaugural lecture on 23 May. The image of simple Neanderthals has shifted considerably in recent decades. For long, this human species, which is thought to have disappeared some 40,000 years ago (after giving us some genes), was considered far less intelligent than modern humans: Homo sapiens, the wise human. Since the publication of the neanderthal genome in 2010, we have discovered that we all still have a piece of neanderthal DNA. We should be pleased with this, says Soressi: some of these old genes help boost our immunity and fight disease. She has had her own DNA tested: ‘I’ve got four per cent neanderthal DNA, which is double the average two per cent that most Europeans have!’ https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2022/05/homo-sapiens-is-too-arrogant-call-us-homo-faber-the-toolmaker 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted May 16, 2022 #2 Share Posted May 16, 2022 22 minutes ago, Still Waters said: We need to dispel the arrogant and misguided idea that modern humans are superior to earlier human species. We survived (for now) they didn't. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 16, 2022 #3 Share Posted May 16, 2022 But...toolmaker would also be misleading, considering other hominids also made tools (or at least I know the Neanderthals did) Maybe something like "city builder" instead? 1 minute ago, XenoFish said: We survived (for now) they didn't. Well we interbred with some of them. Isn't that where my large nose and your red hair comes from? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted May 16, 2022 #4 Share Posted May 16, 2022 1 minute ago, Orphalesion said: Isn't that where my large nose and your red hair comes from? It's a step up for survival. What will humans (if our species lives long enough) call themselves in 10,000 years? If we colonize worlds and have diverging evolutionary branches, what will they call themselves. Who's junk dna will keep going on? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 16, 2022 #5 Share Posted May 16, 2022 2 minutes ago, XenoFish said: It's a step up for survival. What will humans (if our species lives long enough) call themselves in 10,000 years? If we colonize worlds and have diverging evolutionary branches, what will they call themselves. Who's junk dna will keep going on? For all we know, if we get to the point of being a multi-planet species we might splinter into a whole bunch of species again, each adapting to their new home worlds. In fact, unless FTL travel is a possibility, such a splintering would be pretty much inevitable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted May 16, 2022 #6 Share Posted May 16, 2022 3 minutes ago, Orphalesion said: For all we know, if we get to the point of being a multi-planet species we might splinter into a whole bunch of species again, each adapting to their new home worlds. In fact, unless FTL travel is a possibility, such a splintering would be pretty much inevitable. That was the whole point in what I posted. A micro increase of decrease in gravity, air density, etc. Small things we would hardly notice. A type of human that is no more than 4 foot tall due to higher gravity, stocky build or a rail thin one with large lungs all attributed to the environment. If we wanted to go further out, they might not be anything we might consider as being human. Might even devolve into something different. Even as ascend into a biomechanical species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 16, 2022 #7 Share Posted May 16, 2022 7 minutes ago, XenoFish said: That was the whole point in what I posted. A micro increase of decrease in gravity, air density, etc. Small things we would hardly notice. A type of human that is no more than 4 foot tall due to higher gravity, stocky build or a rail thin one with large lungs all attributed to the environment. If we wanted to go further out, they might not be anything we might consider as being human. Might even devolve into something different. Even as ascend into a biomechanical species. Exactly. There's a book I can recommend you called "All Tomorrows" (maybe you have heard about it, if you watch youtube, it had quite a popularity there) that is a, granted somewhat whimsical, chronicle of far-future humanity splintering into myriad of outlandish forms, including mechanical species. It has some outlandish scenarios but the overall idea is quite interesting. It gets to the point that some of the branches of humanities progeny don't even recognize each other as lifeforms any more, let alone fellow sapient species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted May 16, 2022 #8 Share Posted May 16, 2022 1 minute ago, Orphalesion said: "All Tomorrows" Seen a few youtube videos about it. It was interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hammerclaw Posted May 16, 2022 #9 Share Posted May 16, 2022 1 hour ago, Still Waters said: We need to dispel the arrogant and misguided idea that modern humans are superior to earlier human species. It is thanks in part to all our predecessors such as Neanderthals that we are who we are today. This is what Marie Soressi, Professor of Hominin Diversity Archaeology, will argue in her inaugural lecture on 23 May. The image of simple Neanderthals has shifted considerably in recent decades. For long, this human species, which is thought to have disappeared some 40,000 years ago (after giving us some genes), was considered far less intelligent than modern humans: Homo sapiens, the wise human. Since the publication of the neanderthal genome in 2010, we have discovered that we all still have a piece of neanderthal DNA. We should be pleased with this, says Soressi: some of these old genes help boost our immunity and fight disease. She has had her own DNA tested: ‘I’ve got four per cent neanderthal DNA, which is double the average two per cent that most Europeans have!’ https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2022/05/homo-sapiens-is-too-arrogant-call-us-homo-faber-the-toolmaker Homo Superciliosus should pretty much cover it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted May 17, 2022 #10 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Homo vanitatem arrogantia ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiXilver Posted May 17, 2022 #11 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Humans have a vested interest in claiming they're awesome. "I'm the best! Just ask me!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jethrofloyd Posted May 17, 2022 #12 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Homo Erraticus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Wearer of Hats Posted May 17, 2022 #13 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Homo Astronaticus, we can travel to space after all (even if we don’t because …. Reasons). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted May 17, 2022 #14 Share Posted May 17, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, Orphalesion said: Exactly. There's a book I can recommend you called "All Tomorrows" (maybe you have heard about it, if you watch youtube, it had quite a popularity there) that is a, granted somewhat whimsical, chronicle of far-future humanity splintering into myriad of outlandish forms, including mechanical species. It has some outlandish scenarios but the overall idea is quite interesting. It gets to the point that some of the branches of humanities progeny don't even recognize each other as lifeforms any more, let alone fellow sapient species. There's an old book, "First men, last men", or something, written by Olaf Stapleton. It is an old fiction about how humans will evolve, here and on other planets. Edit: Here it is: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_and_First_Men Edited May 17, 2022 by locomekipkachelfantje 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openozy Posted May 17, 2022 #15 Share Posted May 17, 2022 13 hours ago, Still Waters said: We need to dispel the arrogant and misguided idea that modern humans are superior to earlier human species. Why, I'm going to say they were dumb, ugly apes. They don't have hang ups like everyone else, they're dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted May 17, 2022 #16 Share Posted May 17, 2022 16 hours ago, Still Waters said: We need to dispel the arrogant and misguided idea that modern humans are superior to earlier human species. It is thanks in part to all our predecessors such as Neanderthals that we are who we are today. This is what Marie Soressi, Professor of Hominin Diversity Archaeology, will argue in her inaugural lecture on 23 May. The image of simple Neanderthals has shifted considerably in recent decades. For long, this human species, which is thought to have disappeared some 40,000 years ago (after giving us some genes), was considered far less intelligent than modern humans: Homo sapiens, the wise human. Since the publication of the neanderthal genome in 2010, we have discovered that we all still have a piece of neanderthal DNA. We should be pleased with this, says Soressi: some of these old genes help boost our immunity and fight disease. She has had her own DNA tested: ‘I’ve got four per cent neanderthal DNA, which is double the average two per cent that most Europeans have!’ https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2022/05/homo-sapiens-is-too-arrogant-call-us-homo-faber-the-toolmaker We are the only one not extinct so I think we are OK thinking we are superior to other human species. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 17, 2022 #17 Share Posted May 17, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, locomekipkachelfantje said: There's an old book, "First men, last men", or something, written by Olaf Stapleton. It is an old fiction about how humans will evolve, here and on other planets. Edit: Here it is: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_and_First_Men I had that book once but I gave up early on when....if I remember correctly....the US President and the Prime Minister of China plunged the planet into a world war because they started a dick-measuring contest over some "golden skinned" island beauty who just randomly walked into their conference. Then again, maybe Stapleton just foresaw an alternate timeline ending to the Trump presidency there Does it get better later? Edited May 17, 2022 by Orphalesion 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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