i think that what makes humans different from all other species is that we are the only species that feels a need to alter our environments. we want to grow, to nourish, to create, to love, maybe even to injure, we do all these things because we want to be known. we want to be remembered for having an affect on our world, and i'm sure everyone, even hitler, believes their affect is positive. we know that we are successful human beings when we reach the end of our lives and decide that we added more to the world than we took away. this is part of the lure of religions, they promise to make us eternal, be it in heaven, or reincarnation or what have you. it's no mistake we're called human beings, because that is our goal in life, to always be in at least one form. that's the main goal of evolution too, to keep our genes, a portion of ourselves, in existence. it's why most people believe in some sort of afterlife. it's also why we are fascinated with vampire and other immortals. we love the concept of existing forever, especially in perfection, because we are incredibly vain. that's how we like to think of ourselves, as perfect. this is the reason we say god made us in it's image, because it makes us feel more perfect and human.
how would you reflect what it means to be human? have you ever heard of the voyager space project? they sent two identical gold records into space, with recordings of what the researchers thought reflected what it means to be human. if i were filling that space capsule, i would put things that reflect the joy of being alive and the beauty of human choice. while there will always be dictators and tyrants, there will also always be people who protest their acts. for every slave owner, there were people who marched on washington. for every war criminal, there are people dedicating their lives to helping others. i would use the shuttle to show that although humans vary in their beliefs and attitudes, we have a great potential for good. although it probably wouldn't matter, because aliens would probably find our need to be known and leave a mark on the future baffling.
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sending out a shuttle into space so that even if we go extinct the aliens will know we lived? haha. the problem is that anything that is meaningful to us will be incomprehensible to aliens. just for practicalness i'd at least put a couple full genomes of human dna. that'll help the aliens more than a record they can't figure out how to play, i think. plus if we all die out maybe they'll bring back to life our species.
ReplyDeleteor maybe we could have every person alive right now contribute something that fits in a single cubic inch of space. the space ship carrying that i think would only have be able to hold 166 feet by 166 feet by 166 feet. which i guess would be difficult...it could actually be less than that, because some people surely wouldn't contribute.
i agree. the voyager space shuttle was probably a huge waste of money for it's intented purpose. however, i believe it was a valuable thing to do because we will always have a copy of the record to remind us of humanity's history up to that point, makes us reflect on what it means to be human, and romanticizes aliens and space travel in a way that may make future generations who do encounter aliens less hostile.
ReplyDeleteTo me, being human means that my species has evolved to a place where our brain processes are at advanced stages of critical thinking and problem solving.
ReplyDeleteMOST of the human world must concentrate on food, water and shelter. I am not sure that a need to be 'known' factors in, although one could say that by having children who carry on your genes may (to some) fulfill that need.
I do not know that other species do NOT share such a need. Reproduction is basic in most species, and for all I know a group of gorillas looks at the moon and sun and in a way not communnicable to me 'worships' them.
I know from experience and reading, for instance, that neurobiologically striatal variations in the brains of birds effect their communication with human species widely.
I do NOT know, and at this point I have not read anything one way or the other, that commmunication AMONG non-human species (inter-special) are not equal to ours.
For me, to be human, is a huge responsibility. I am responsible for many things (environment, society, etc), and I am mostly responsible to be aware that I am no better than other species who share the earth with me insofar as value.
(Did I veer off on a weird tangent?)
So, basically, philosophically, non-human species may 'believe' in nearly anything - we just do not know that they do.