making computers and languages does not make one smart, it makes them civilized. dolphins don't need computers, and they have brains that work much better than humans'.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Then what is smart?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

smart is having a good-working brain, not making computers

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but don't you think that the kinds of things humans do are smarter than that of the animal world? I mean, even just discovering the fact that protons have a positive charge, and that a hydrogen atom doesn't have a 2:1 ration of protons as originally thought, but it has a 4:1 ratio, because of the slightly more charged nucleus, however a helium atom can have a 2:1 ratio. Basic chemistry stuff like that just kills me, I'm like how does anybody go about figuring that out, and why!? I just think humans are a different level of smart. That's all.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

humans only choose to learn all that stuff. just because they are more curious than other animals, that doesn't mean they're smarter. other animals' brains may work just as well or even better than humans', but they only choose to learn what they need to know

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Nah, it's because they don't have the ability to do that kind of stuff, we do. We are more capable of a higher intelligence than they are. Dolphins aren't making a choice to sit back and swim all day, they do it because that's all they can do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

How do dolphins brains work better than ours? And what exactly is a 'good-working brain'?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

"smart" is actually (in theory) the ability to problem solve and adapt to one's environment without physically evolving. I would also argue that "smart" is also the ability to learn something quickly, hence why dolphins seem to learn tricks faster than whales and otters as well as seals at sea world and other aquatic themed parks.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You can call a dolphin smart for learning to jump through a hoop or do other things for fish treats, but human intelligence is in an entirely different league. And making computers is being smart. I know I'm not smart enough to do it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Maybe, but we do it for treats too. Besides that, we use everything we have as tools. Humans would have never sparked curiosity if it weren't for the fact that we're physically weaker than most other animals. Dolphins on the other hand, never depended on tools to survive. Hence why they don't build computers

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes, we are physically weaker than many animals, which is why we evolved to be smarter instead. And I don't buy that dolphins don't use tools because they don't need to, they don't use tools because they can't.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Your first point was already made by me. That was my next point no opposable thumbs lmao...but yes, tell me in what occasion would they need tools they live in the ocean its search and destroy man.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They could make nets out of seaweed and use them to catch more fish more quickly. They could make basic weapons to help defend against predators. Dolphins could be helped by tools just as much as we can. And it takes more than an opposable thumb to discover the law of gravity or to invent penicillin.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

1.) I don't think dolphins have natural predators (don't say sharks because dolphins kill sharks 2.) Dolphins have very elaborate ways of catching prey by hunting in pods. They force the fish into one large swarm so they can just pick them out, as if picking out a box of cookies in the grocery store. 3.) Again, all up to curiosity. Dolphins plain don't care 4.) Dolphins rarely die of diseases, they die of old age.. All of this is off the top of my head correct me if something is inaccurate.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

1. Larger shark species do prey on smaller dolphins, particularly younger ones. 2. They are effective fishers, but they could be better through the use of tools. 3. We have no idea what, if anything, dolphins think, so that's just speculation. 4. I'm going to need a citation before I believe that, no offense. If we, with all our modern medicine, still have too many people dying from disease I'd bet dolphins do too.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

1.) This is very rare, just like babies being eaten by bears in the wilderness. 2.) They don't have the need to be more effective, they all eat until they are satisfied and release all other trapped prey. 3.) That's abysmal it won't work in either of our favors. 4.) Read this out of some magazine not too sure where a few years back, but most of the diseases they die of are caused by pollution quote: "In the dolphin population, there is a wide variety of diseases that can kill a dolphin, with a painful death. Most of this is caused by bacteria from waterpollution. ...(the) bacteria in the water can cause respiratory disorders, heart diseases, tumors, skin diseases, stomach ulcers, and urogenital disorders. All of these symptoms can be caused by polluting the water" end quote. Besides that, most of the diseases dolphins die from are similar to humans with a little less frequency

by Anonymous 13 years ago

^Probably due to a smaller population, though.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You, sir, severely underestimate dolphins. They do, in fact, use tools when necessary. The "when necessary" part is important. Humans invented tools because we are useless as fuck. We can't take down a large animal without the use of tools, so we must create them in order to do so. Dolphins are extremely proficient at hunting, and no tool that they could conceivably use would help them. There are certain circumstances in which tools do help, and so they use them. I think you can learn a thing or two from this article. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/jul/03/research.science

by Anonymous 11 years ago

In what way do dolphins have brains that work much better than humans? I realize this is two years old, and anon, but meh.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

idk steve jobs is pretty smart... hahaha jk

by Anonymous 13 years ago

humans have thumbs which is a huge advantage

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Most primates also have (opposable) thumbs.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

humans have thumbs which is a huge advantage

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you guys know what i mean. stop trying to find flaws in the way i said it

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Does anyone else find it kind of ironic that "God" is saying this?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No, because you also need opposable thumbs. At least for earthly creatures.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I came here to say what I said. Good job, past me

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Primates have opposable thumbs.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

"In theory, **any** animal..."

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yeah, and primates are animals. With opposable thumbs. Why don't they have computers?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The post is saying **any** animal - meaning any and //all// animals - could do it if they were intelligent enough. Sure, if primates were as intelligent as we were, they could, in theory, build computers, etc. But not spiders. Not hamsters. Not peregrine falcons, snakes or beavers.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Why would that be weird? If we were at that level of intelligence we wouldn't understand what it even means to be called "animals" and we basically would be animals...I don't get why it would be weird. Also, just if we were animal-level intelligence doesn't mean they'd suddenly be smart enough to create technology.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

How do you know some animals haven't created computers? Would an ant-computer look like a human-computer? Nope. LOL

by Anonymous 6 years ago