[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 646 KB, 687x681, caves.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12161596 No.12161596 [Reply] [Original]

Were those humans living in caves for thousands of years biologically the same as us? Do we have the same brains as them? When did humans become conscious?

>> No.12161854

>>12161596
there were likely some individuals who wandered out of the caves.

>> No.12161878
File: 24 KB, 400x265, 111.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12161878

>>12161596
What if all the normal people lived in elaborate villas that there is no trace of anymore and cave dwellers were their version of pic related

>> No.12161968

>>12161878
>there is no trace of anymore

It's unlikely advanced civilization appeared much before. Even farming leaves tons of evidence and we don't see that before 10k years ago.

>> No.12161992

>>12161968
>>12161878
Can someone answer if these mfkers in the caves for thousands of years had the same brains as us at birth? Were their brains less evolved to start with?

>> No.12162024

>>12161992
You aren't more evolved.
If you were born in the middle of a forest and left alone by yourself you probably wouldn't even be able to figure out the wheel.

>> No.12162030
File: 99 KB, 833x1024, 123.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12162030

>>12161596
What if the Earth had some sort of brain damaging gas on its surface, or intelligence lowering viruses, which we eventually either built an immunity to, or disspated for whatever reason? What if it was too cold and dark to go outside and get anything done? Nothing to bootstrap the process. What if most of humanity was killed prior, and these were just the few that happened to survive? eg the mudflood theory.

>> No.12162037

>>12162030
I think you inhaled brain damaging gas

>> No.12162041

>>12162037
I take it you never saw that Star Trek episode.

>> No.12162048

>>12162041
I stand by my assessment

>> No.12162053

>>12162048
I feel I am obligated then to call you clamped.

>> No.12162078

>>12162024
Gay and useless contribution

>> No.12162081

>>12162030
All possible

>> No.12162085

>>12161968
>unlikely
You couldn't even begin to qualify that.

>> No.12162110
File: 1.20 MB, 1600x1580, longcat_1.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12162110

>>12161596
Cranial capacity has actually decreased over the last few tens of thousands of years. The prevailing hypothesis is that humans have domesticated themselves, resulting in smaller bodies overall (including brain size) but a greater propensity for cooperation. The same cranial decreases can be seen in other domesticated animals such as dogs, cows, and sheep. Turns out the resources needed for cooperative survival are cheaper than the resources needed for roughing it on your own, which should become fairly obvious if you're ever inclined to practice your survivalism skills yourself. There are a lot of required skills when you're on your own that you just don't actually need when you have enough buddies with you.

Now, the question of consciousness depends on how you define consciousness, but it isn't far-fetched to imagine that people were just as lucid as they are today but just didn't have access to information beyond their small communities of people. It's no surprise that agriculture and the written word were such game-changers if everyone was already capable of inputting and using the information.

>> No.12162120

>>12161596
Why wouldn't you live in a cave? It's free infrastructure, and stronger than anything you could hope to build. All you need is fire. You have that much figured out, right?

>> No.12162133

It's important to remember that technological development in general is a process that builds up and accelerates over time.
There are certain concepts which you take completely for granted, like the lever, that you probably consider so basic a concept that surely anyone would think of it by themselves. I don't think so.
Sure, once somebody used a lever it would be obvious and everyone would quickly make use of it. Same with the wheel. Obvious in hindsight.

These ancient people living in caves were just as smart as you or I or they might have even had the occasional super genius, but they just didn't have that preexisting knowledge to use. You might as well be asking why Sir Isaac Newton never invented the microprocessor if he's so smart. He just didn't have the tools needed to invent it yet.

>> No.12162148

No. Paleolithic humans generally only used caves as shelter during bad weather. They would have generally made use of dwellings constructed from wood, rock and earth

>> No.12162337

>>12162078
true tho. natural human living is very involved and good for developing intelligence. huntergatherer diet is also very enriching. today life is comparatively streamlined and oppressive that you can't blame people for being retards. can't even blame them for social incompetence and lack of empathy which would be inconceivable to this natural living.

>>12161596
no one typically lived in caves. not a good location for resources.

>> No.12162339

>>12162120
bad air, no resources, no surrounding land, hard to get to and from, dangerous. they didn't live in them.

>> No.12162361
File: 20 KB, 600x341, 5E81499A-42BB-4104-B6A8-05DF025B5CA2.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
12162361

Half of you say we did live in caves for millenia and half of you say we did not live in them at all.

I’m more confused than when I asked the questions. Is there a definitive scientific book on this topic?

>> No.12162390

>>12162361
Humans were mostly wandering hunter gatherers until agriculture was invented; you do the math.

>> No.12162432

>>12162339
Have you ever been in a cave? There's plenty of shit in them.