chapotraphouse

Whenever I read an article like this or about the probability of extraterrestrial civilization, I think there is the enormously hubristic assumption that “technological civilization” is, from an evolutionary perspective, a long-term success strategy.

Like, behaviorally modern humans are maybe 100,000 years old, the epoch in humans actually do enough stuff in the world to be force relevant to climate and biodiversity is maybe 5-10,000 years.

Maybe the answer to the Fermi paradox is obvious and maybe being a shark who swims and eat fish is an evolutionarily superior pattern, technologically civilized societies are evidentially doomed by the observation made in the Fermi paradox.

I think the raven's bigger problem is that they are just too weak. Humans aren't very strong by animal standards but we are strong enough to break wood and rocks. How would a raven ever get past the stone age. You'd need an entire flock of ravens with stone axes to fell a tree.

Humans didn't evolve and then start using tools, our ancestors used crude tools, much like many of he species you listed occasionally do, which resulted in an evolutionary selection bias for those who could best make use of tools. Tool use created humans and it in time could create descendants of those other species who are much more capable of using tools.

what about the elephants?? they got brains and those cool trunks

There are sharks they’ve found that are 400 years old. I’m telling you, when sharks get larger brains and opposable thumbs, humans are done for.

Idk. Dolphins do sex for pleasure and find "toys" to masturbate with and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy said they'd survive getting off the planet before it's destruction. They did try to warn us.

pls?

My brain processes information almost like a potato.

I googled.

Astrobiologist lays out scenario for intelligent life on water worlds

Under the right conditions, could such water-dwelling creatures [as octopus] develop technology on an alien water world? That may be more challenging than it was for our forebears, Schulze-Makuch says.

“Fire can’t exist underwater, and fire is thought to have been essential for humans to develop technology,” Schulze-Makuch notes. However, there’s one potential avenue that he and co-author William Bains explore in their book, “The Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds.”

“Perhaps smart ocean creatures could use thermal vents on an alien planet’s seafloor to supply concentrated heat energy,” Schulze-Makuch says. “Such energy wouldn’t be as portable or controllable as fire, but the underwater civilization could farm fish without fire, or perhaps use other resources to make tools and technology. As an example, long strands of kelp could be ideal for making rope.”

It is great.

Actually, he thought it was going to be arthropods.