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/sci/ - Science & Math

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2836020 No.2836020 [Reply] [Original]

What makes a human a human?

Humans have unique abilities just like any other animal. Humans can do things animals can't just as animals can do things humans can't.

But what truly makes a human being a human being? If you're speaking on intelligence, wouldn't a human just be a higher evolved species of an ape?

>> No.2836027

Bigotry.

>> No.2836031

>>wouldn't a human just be a higher evolved species of an ape?
>>higher evolved

doesnt understand evolution

>> No.2836033

>a higher evolved species of an ape

Yep, that's it.

>> No.2836036

Humans are animals too idiot.
And we will always be inferior to the Diplozoom Paradoxum

>> No.2836043
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2836043

We're all just monkeys, really. Smart monkeys, but still monkeys.

>> No.2836044

>higher evolved

if evolution were true, why don't we see drosophila melonagaster evolving into human?

god - 1
atheists - 0

>> No.2836046

>>2836036
>"Diplozoon paradoxum are hermaphroditic flatworms that live on gills of freshwater fishes. Males and females meet each other during their juvenile stage, and their bodies completely fuse together, whereupon they remain faithful until death," Dr. Barash said. Once the two worms have fused together cross-fertilization can be permitted. "That's the only species I know of in which there seems to be 100 percent monogamy.""

Words can't explain my feelings

>> No.2836052

Humans are cool.

>> No.2836053
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2836053

What makes an African giant anteater an African giant anteater?

African giant anteaters have unique abilities just like any other animal. African giant anteater can do things other animals can't just as other animals can do things African giant anteaters can't.

But what truly makes an African giant anteater an African giant anteater? If you're speaking on ability to eat ants, wouldn't an African giant anteater just be a different type of bear or spider or parasite or insect?

>> No.2836056

Humans are agile.

>> No.2836068

>>2836052
How are humans different from penguins?
>>2836056
How are humans different from earwigs?

>> No.2836072

>>2836068
We got lucky

>> No.2836073

But wouldn't the thought process make us humans?

When I look at it.

I could get a gun and go on a killing spree right now. I choose not to, because I don't want to die or go to prison. I also don't want to ruin my life.

Is this one thing that makes humans humans?

>> No.2836076

>>2836073
You rarely see a lion tame a monkey.

>> No.2836077

>you can't hug children with nuclear arms
Other animals can communicate and think, we just do it better by several orders of magnitude. You finished trolling?

>> No.2836099

I think I figured it out.

This is of course whether you believe or not.

What separates humans from animals, is the fact that we humans were created in Gods image. The bible and the history of the world is for us. It's for us to take care of the animals. Everything is for us.

That's what separates a human from animals.

>> No.2836106

You're going about this all wrong. What things do all humans have in common?

It is not virtues that we aspire to, it is the small-minded hatreds that we can't allow ourselves to see in ourselves.

You're more deluded than Baptist Christians if you're trying to imply anticipation makes us great.

>> No.2836108

This is a supremely retarded question.

>> No.2836115

>>2836072
Not only is your answer meaningless, but it failed to address the issue of how your cited definitions of "human" are not definitions.

>> No.2836118

>>2836106

So that's what makes a human a human?

To be able to see the faults in not only others, but ourselves?

>> No.2836134

>>2836053

What I had meant to say is, what separates a human from any other species on the planet, be it animal or plant.

>> No.2836144

..2836020

Humans are most certainly apes, but we aren't descended from monkeys, we have a common ancestor, but we aren't directly descended from them.

>>2836044

Because evolution by natural selection is the result of accumulating traits that benefit survival, sorry to burst the bubble here, but humans aren't the 'most evolved' creatures on the planet.

Come back to me when you can carry out photosynthesis.

>> No.2836150
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2836150

>>2836115
What is it that needs to be addressed?

>> No.2836152

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_genome

What do I win?

>> No.2836153

>>2836134
The fact that we are humans is what separates us from other species; the same way house cats are house cats separates them from other feline animals and all other species.

If you're asking what makes human special or unique, all I can say is that there is no such thing as special nor unique in our universe. In reality it doesn't matter whether you die or an ant dies, it's 1 life less in our world.

>> No.2836156

>>2836144
inject into cells algal endosymbiotics, ala aquatic flatworms

u jelly?

>> No.2836157

>>2836144

What did the common ancestor look like?

Would it of been something that could both stand up and lean down? One decided to stand up and branch off as humans, while the leaner branched off as monkeys?

>> No.2836162

morality / ability to reason / the soul / etc

>> No.2836167

>>2836153

It's something like Fullmetal Alchemist?

The world is all and we are the one?

>> No.2836176

>>2836157

Samefag here,

The common ancestor is thought to be similar to a very early simian, such as a lemur. The differentiation into another species is usually considered to occur when interbreeding is no longer possible, standing upright was probably way down the line.

It could simply be that the environment favoured shorter fur, slightly larger eyes or even longer fingers, such things seem trivial to us now, but in evolutionary terms these could have made a huge impact upon survivability.

>> No.2836180
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2836180

>>2836162
>the soul

>> No.2836185

>>2836176

Are humans still able to evolve or have we long passed that stage?

I do feel like the only evolution we'll be taking is intelligence, but then again, there are more less than intelligent people in the world.

>> No.2836194
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2836194

>>2836180

>> No.2836198

We can replace humans with little boxes that proclaim "I believe in god".

We'd build a better society, for that matter.

>> No.2836199

>>2836150
Ready for this shit?

What makes a human a human?

>Humans are cool
(but so are penguins)
>Humans are agile
(but so are earwigs)

Rhetorically, I note that you failed to answer the question and asked what makes humans different from those two animals?

>We got lucky
is an answer that means nothing, and says nothing. It doesn't explain anything in a meaningful way; rather, in an evolutionary sense, EVERY extant species "got lucky."

Plus, I'm familiar with your retarded antics on this board already. This response was more for people who needed a chuckle.

>> No.2836207

>>2836194
It was a thought experiment. You're not supposed to think it really exists.

>> No.2836209

>>2836185
nope humans are done evolving, all humans are now sterile

might i suggest thinking before writing

>> No.2836211

>>2836199
Penguins are cool too

>> No.2836213

>A human is an organism that can be classified as homo sapien
>There isn't a single meaningful characteristic that all humans share that all animals lack
>Speciesism is retarded.

>> No.2836214
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2836214

>>2836185

>humans
>done evolving

>> No.2836219

>>2836209

How can I think if I don't know the answer to my own question.

It would not be wise to to just go on what I think I know by assumption.

>> No.2836257

>>2836213
>There isn't a single meaningful characteristic that all humans share that all animals lack
See
>>2836152

We're also able to drive cars and produce remakes of 80's horror movies. That's kinda unique.

>> No.2836274

For my interpretation what makes humans so different from other animals is it's lack of specialization. Physically humans are inferior to animals at almost every task. However the ability to build tools and develop methods in order to survive in varying environments makes humans so outstanding.

>> No.2836275

>>2836211
Then I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that your initial posts were not responses to OP's question.

But in that case, they boil down to:

What makes a human a human?
>I like humans.

and so should not have been posted.

>> No.2836278

>>2836257
we possess a combination of certain characteristics that enable an acute manipulation of environment and the creation of art/entertainment

but each feature that makes us human is accessible somewhere in someway in all lifeforms

>> No.2836283

>>2836274
We specialize in standing up, kicking ass, and then still being able to balance on our remaining leg while giving a thumbs-up.

>> No.2836285

The ability to breed with other humans.

>> No.2836304

>>2836274
>Physically humans are inferior to animals at almost every task.

What does that even mean? Why are humans up against every single other animal combined in this contest? I'm more agile than an ox, stronger than a dog, and faster than a turtle. In fact, I'd say there's not a single task that I can't do better than some animal.

And at some things, we're the best or very nearly the best. Humans have superb fine motor skills and long distance running ability, for example.

>> No.2836307

>>2836285
Great answer, a true scientist, Medawar would be proud

Applause good sir

>> No.2836308

>>2836257
I really don't see your point. Are you implying that the human genome is meaningfully different? Because non-human animals have their own genomes you know.

>> No.2836311

>>2836304
>humans have superb long distance running skills

lolwtf.pdf

>> No.2836326

>>2836285

this

>> No.2836329

>>2836308
>Because non-human animals have their own genomes you know.
Yeah, and we have a unique *human* genome, setting us apart from every other species, and thus answering OP's question.

>> No.2836336

>a higher evolved species of an ape
nope.avi

>> No.2836340

>>2836311
>implying we don't

A human in good shape can outrun almost any land animal in a marathon. That's how humans used to hunt before decent projectile weapons: chasing their prey to exhaustion and then stabbing it to death.

>> No.2836341

>>2836329
the frustration with OP is in the usage of the word "higher" next to the word "evolved"

Blind ignorance I call it

>> No.2836346

>>2836340
[citation needed]

>> No.2836356

>>2836346
<[citation needed]

Ok.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting

And just for lulz:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_versus_Horse_Marathon

>> No.2836360

>>2836329
Oh, OK I agree with you then. I was trying to address the notion that all humans are somehow superior to all non-human animals. I wasn't trying to dispute the fact that humans are definable.

>> No.2836373

Animals can't think around corners

>> No.2836374

>>2836356

And to add to it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endurance_running_hypothesis

>> No.2836377
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2836377

Humans are a higher evolved species of Africans. We are better than all other living things on Earth in terms of intelligence. No other animal can affect the environment the way we can.

>> No.2836393

>>2836377
ant here, i resent that

>> No.2836407

>>2836356
that race is total bullshit, btw. they do this nonsense about vetchecks and time deductions, which aren't really monitored, so the horses times are a load of bullshit. its not a real race, its a dog and pony show.

>> No.2836410

>>2836377

>no other animal can effect the environment the way we can

Perhaps negatively... but without bees you dont see the same levels of cross pollination's => shortage of food for everyone. Other creatures do their part in the environment in big ways. You're just too hopped up on your ego to see it.

>> No.2836420

>>2836407

Be that as it may, humans are still excellent distance runners.

But the broader point was that the contest between humans and all other animals doesn't make any sense. EVERY animal is inferior to other animals at every or almost every task.

>> No.2836426

>>2836410

Agreed, both bees and termites fulfil vastly important roles in the ecosystem that humans couldn't even dream of replacing.

>> No.2836428

>>2836360
It was actually more a response to this:
>>2836134

Sorry for not directly quoting the post. My replies were certainly not intended as arguments for human superiority, merely for human uniqueness.

>> No.2836441

the ability to manipulate objects from our environment to make tools. of course some birds and mammals can do this but our brain is bigger.

equally as evolved as apes, we just evolved differently from a common ancestor.

>> No.2836459

>>2836426

True, Almost forgot about termites... Thanks for the jog. Those dudes are awesome.

Similarly have you heard about the bee disappearance in North America?

>> No.2836473

>>2836426
We can through bee farms. We're just letting our inferiors live alongside us because of our goodwill.

>> No.2836494
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2836494

>>2836473

>beefarms
>replacing bees
>beefarms
>bees in farms

>> No.2836537

We have bigger testicles and chesticles. /thread.

>> No.2836544

>>2836304
>Implying humanity didn't extincted almost every predator with it's developed tools and methods.

>> No.2836548

>>2836494
It's like an ant farm, right?

>> No.2836552

>>2836494

Nice.

Made me lol fucking hard!

>> No.2836558

>>2836544

Samefag here, predators don't count for shit. Its the beasties at the bottom of the food chain that we can't replace.

>> No.2836571

>>2836304
humans not only have extreme fine motor skills, we have unparalleled spatial recognition, cognitive functions, and communication techniques far superior to any other animal.

the combination of these allowed us to become what we are.

also, we are not just "one of the best" at long distance running, we are THE best. we hold the world record in the animal kingdom for it.

>> No.2836584

Humans can move at 17,500 miles per hour.

>in a space shuttle

>> No.2836596
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2836596

Sup OP.

I know of a quadriplegic who is useless at everything involving the use of one's hands and/or feet. He is a human, though; that is for sure.

In addition, I know this chimp who smokes. He can also count with more skill than a retard who was on the news a couple of years back. But that chimp will never be a human.

This could continue with ease. German Shepherds vs. Down's syndrome persons being one example.

>> No.2836613

>>2836410
>>2836426

Excuse me, ants, bees, termites can't nuke the fucking world and eradicate 80% of every living everything.

Humans have more affect over everything on this planet. Just because other creatures can have dire effects don't remove us from our pedestal.

>> No.2836622

>>2836410
Come on, this is hippie bullshit. It's not egocentric to say humans are superior to all other animals. This because, imo, we're able to communicate complex ideas thanks to language. This, accelerated by the invention of writing, enabled us to accumulate knowledge over generations in a much faster way than through genes.

>> No.2836635

>>2836596
>comparing worse examples of humans with exceptional cases of animals
nice try, but outliers don't count.

>> No.2836645

>>2836613

Yes, we can nuke stuff, 80% of the planet seems an arbitrary figure, but nontheless, you'll find that if all photosynthetic bacteria died, much of what we call life would follow.

Thankfully these creatures lack the capacity for self-destruction that you seem to take delight in.

>> No.2836649

Culture.

>> No.2836650

>>2836635
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessary_and_sufficient_condition

Read this page, kid; you've got a long way to go.

>> No.2836661

>>2836645

>you'll find that if all photosynthetic bacteria died,

That's a myriad of species, not one.
Focus on the argument at hand.

>Thankfully these creatures lack the capacity for self-destruction that you seem to take delight in.

I'm not saying it's a good thing, I'm just saying that it's an absolute that humans have the greatest environmental effects of any single species.

Hell, bees and termites are varying species too.

Homo fuckyou sapiens. We're not the center of the universe but we're still #1 on earth.

>> No.2836673

>>2836650
>Citing random article
Your position is still BS as far as I'm concerned.

>> No.2836684

>>2836622

Humans are superior in many ways to other animals. Doesn't mean they dont have their own superiority. You just like to acknowledge your own more than theirs.

For example. You cant carry 20x your own weight on your back. You also cant fly around.

Also, I said humans have the biggest capacity to effect the environment negatively. They however havent demonstrated a great capacity in affecting it positively; if they do its for their own personal use. Other animals have the capacity to effect it and change it just as much. If you dont want to acknowledge that you're just being ignorant.

>> No.2836688

>>2836650
i do believe it is you that has a long way to go.

i can point to a clinically braindead human, and compare them to a rock, is that fair?

i could even point out a dead human, they certainly arent going to be doing anything fantastic any time soon.

humans are top of the chain at pretty much everything.

predation: check
intelligence: check (inb4 equivocation troll)
population expansion: check

we, as humans, are un-fucking-stoppable. we are long lived, societal, and can do almost anything.

name me another animal that can do even a fraction of what we can.

oh wow, a chimp that smokes or can count to 3!!!

WE WIPED OUT SMALLPOX.

>> No.2836694
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2836694

>>2836661

>egotrip detected

>> No.2836698
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2836698

>>2836684

>You also cant fly around.

>> No.2836702

>>2836688

By that logic I give you:

The Spanish influenza virus.

On topic - Humans are capable of appreciating and understanding things that exist well outside of their own frame of experience. That's pretty awesome in my book.

>> No.2836705

>>2836684
hippie hippie hippie.
>You cant carry 20x your own weight on your back. You also cant fly around.
Using tools, machines and vehicles I can. Call me when bees have sent satellites in orbit.

>> No.2836709

>>2836661
Destroying all the Toxoplasma gondii in humans will lead to a cascade of bio-mechanical and genetic effects

Destroy all niggers, the world would get along fine and malaria would be eradicated

>> No.2836708

>>2836702
get back to me when the spanish flu develops tools, let alone spacetravel.

>> No.2836714

>>2836708
Spaceships have as much survival value as a patroler bee

>> No.2836718

>>2836709

>Destroying all the Toxoplasma gondii in humans will lead to a cascade of bio-mechanical and genetic effects

I'm pretty sure you just typed in the wrong bacteria, because all that would do is helpfully eradicate Toxoplasmosis.

>> No.2836720

troll line ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>> No.2836722

Those people who keep saying that animals are better than humans should become animals themselves. Damn furries.

>> No.2836732

>>2836718
nah i got the right one

Toxoplasmosis is essentially noninvasive, unless the host has a compromised immune system

in fact an infection of T. gondii in a healthy individual keeps the immune system "working", constantly fending off the cysts that are formed in the brain

in males, some cases can lead to schizophrenia, though its rare

in females, it can increase intellect

>> No.2836745
File: 64 KB, 600x423, asian-elephant--elephas-maximus-2.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2836745

Personhood is subjectively understood by all. For me everything is alive because I understand living things like the Koreans do. Moving Thing.

Elephant Signing Out....

>> No.2836835

Humans are conscious living beings.
That's make separates Homo-sapiens from all other species..

>> No.2836839

>>2836835
what*

>> No.2836856

The ability to premediate, and execute an action.

>> No.2836885

Humans are the only species on this planet that don't make sense.Our main goal isn't entirely focused on survival, and reproduction, yet gain of knowledge, and a whole load of useless shit.

>> No.2836888

Humans are the only people that can contemplate suicide.

Humans are the only self-aware and self-conceiving beings.

Humans are the only beings with a natural language. All others use basic rudimentary signals.

Humans are the only animals to develop tears, as a mechanism for both empathy and social bonds.

Humans are honestly, while quite similar, remarkably different than all other species. Not only in matters of intelligence, but other unique ones as well.

If a tiger for example, where as intelligent as us, their tendencies towards isolation and viciousness as carnivores and not unique social creatures would make them a species of Mansons or Hitlers.

>> No.2836905

>>2836732
>Woman gets schizophrenia
>It increased her intelligence
>Mfw

>> No.2836909

>use basic rudimentary signals.
Oddly enough, we have language centers of our brain dedicated to "dog". Not just anger, but complex emotional responses as well.

>> No.2836915

>>2836888

>Humans are the only people that can contemplate suicide.

Wrong, stopped reading right there.

>> No.2836928

Only humans practice religion. Only humans make art. Only humans refine metals. Only humans practice number theory. Only humans fart and then pretend they didn't.

There's lots of stuff that only humans do, that have no analogs among the lower animals.

>> No.2836938

>>2836888
>Humans are the only beings with a natural language. All others use basic rudimentary signals.

That's untrue. Crows and dolphins do have their languages, with unique phonology, syntax, morphology and everything else. srsly

>> No.2836954

Human beings ARE apes and you can't put a degree on how evolved an organism is. Each organism is evolved to fit into a niche. What makes a human being human is everything about us, our entirety.

>> No.2836958

>>2836928
I've seen an elephant paint, and an ape that can play songs on squeeze-bulb horns.

The elephant paintings sell very well, never less than $1000 each, usually more.

>> No.2836964

>>2836954
Wait, you mean it doesn't work like Pokemon? :-(

>> No.2836971

>>2836708

Because being self-congratulatory makes us human eh?

There you have it OP. We're jerks.

>> No.2836973

White skin

>> No.2836987

Our genes make us human.
That's it.

Also, the fact that we control fire. That's important, too.

>> No.2836991

>>2836964
hahahaha

Look, it's actually extremely simple. Everything is composed of the same building blocks, living things have more in common with each-other than a rock though. What distinguishes us from other organisms is simply the composition of those building blocks. The distinctiveness lies in the composition in its entirety.

>> No.2838986

We may be monkeys and still part of nature.... for now.

But soon, the robots will rule. And the robots will be us.

>> No.2838994

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biOU-2uLQTgGz-kDMy1pl8qFJz-s9A

>> No.2839000

Ghost in a Shell