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Scholar
#76 Old 6th Jun 2012 at 10:56 PM
Well, nothing is ever "finished" evolving, that is unless the species is gone. Even humans are still evolving.
Cats are adaptive, yeah, but you'd think some other ape would probably be closer to sentience, if that's the bar we're aiming for-- "human replacement". Rather than just "apex predator".

"You're born naked, and everything else is drag."
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Undead Molten Llama
#77 Old 6th Jun 2012 at 11:24 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Pdennis
Well, I'm of the opinion that cats have already evolved, and will be the reason for our disapearance in the first place.....


Shhh! Don't give the legion of cats living in my barn bright ideas! They're already a formidable army all by themselves, without any unnecessary delusions of grandeur.

Quote:
But I think the reasoning behind that was that cats can basically function in most any environment and do very well for themselves. Or something.


True, but then, the apes are already more than halfway to consciousness in the human sense, so I'd think they'd get there before any cat would. And then there are the elephants, who are wickedly intelligent, have proven themselves self-aware (The only non-primate, non-cetacean to have done so), have a complex social structure (Something thought necessary, so I've read, for the development of so-called "higher thought"), and also have the capacity for creative thought. And then there are the cetaceans, also self-aware (At least dolphins are), and, although bound by having evolved to live in a non-terrestrial environment, ARE swimming around with some fairly large brains.

It'd be interesting to be a "fly on the wall" if humanity were ever to one day become extinct (A vastly unlikely thing, true, but anything's possible), and then see what happens...

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
And all the maladies of the world burst forth from Pandora's cooch
#78 Old 6th Jun 2012 at 11:44 PM
I can see it now. Aliens land on our planet to see nothing but a bunch of skeletons at the bottom of stairs, and some cat with an evil grin at the top....
Undead Molten Llama
#79 Old 6th Jun 2012 at 11:54 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Pdennis
I can see it now. Aliens land on our planet to see nothing but a bunch of skeletons at the bottom of stairs, and some cat with an evil grin at the top....


No, not an evil grin! Just their standard, "Who me? I'm completely innocent. Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth" look when they've done something that they know damn well is wrong.

Cats are devious, yes, I'll give them that. And way, WAY smarter than dogs, at least, though I love both equally.

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
Field Researcher
#80 Old 7th Jun 2012 at 7:23 AM
Quote: Originally posted by iCad
Shhh! Don't give the legion of cats living in my barn bright ideas! They're already a formidable army all by themselves, without any unnecessary delusions of grandeur.



True, but then, the apes are already more than halfway to consciousness in the human sense, so I'd think they'd get there before any cat would. And then there are the elephants, who are wickedly intelligent, have proven themselves self-aware (The only non-primate, non-cetacean to have done so), have a complex social structure (Something thought necessary, so I've read, for the development of so-called "higher thought"), and also have the capacity for creative thought. And then there are the cetaceans, also self-aware (At least dolphins are), and, although bound by having evolved to live in a non-terrestrial environment, ARE swimming around with some fairly large brains.

It'd be interesting to be a "fly on the wall" if humanity were ever to one day become extinct (A vastly unlikely thing, true, but anything's possible), and then see what happens...


I think it's just dolphins which I find odd because dolphins are in the whale family so why wouldn't whales be self aware too?

and yeah unfortunately they are bound by the sea (which I find sad because I'd love to have a dolphin for a pet or at least play with one and just playing with one would be nearly impossible)
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Original Poster
#81 Old 7th Jun 2012 at 6:39 PM
Now I know why most cats are beeing nice to us. They will take over the world when we're not expecting it.

If you remember me, I'm awesome!
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Undead Molten Llama
#82 Old 8th Jun 2012 at 12:16 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Drakesecaravdis
I think it's just dolphins which I find odd because dolphins are in the whale family so why wouldn't whales be self aware too?


They very well might be. It's just hard to test them for it, given that they generally aren't kept in captivity due to their sheer size and feeding requirements. At least when you're talking about the baleen whales like the humpbacks, that is. Smaller toothed whales that are kept in captivity, like orcas and such, might have been shown to be self-aware; I just don't know, myself.

Quote:
and yeah unfortunately they are bound by the sea (which I find sad because I'd love to have a dolphin for a pet or at least play with one and just playing with one would be nearly impossible)


It's an appealing idea, but don't be too fooled by their cuddly image. Intelligent animals do tend to have their dark, creepy side, just like humans, as intelligent animals, do. Like I said, chimps can be very creepy. (For instance, in the wild, small groups of male chimps will go off looking for lone chimps who aren't members of their own tribe and then kill them, apparently for fun.) Intelligent predatory animals also tend to play with their food a bit before finally killing it, a not-entirely-nice trait. Orcas are notorious for this, tossing a baby seal, for instance, back and forth between them before it eventually gets eaten. I don't know too much about dolphins, myself, but it wouldn't surprise me if they have their dark side somewhere, too, their happy, popular "Flipper" image aside.

That said, there ARE areas of the world where you can swim with "wild" dolphins. (I put that in quotes because, generally, they're ones who've been deliberately attracted to an area by people who run the local "swim with dolphins" business and who keep coming back because of all the food they get, and so they're ones who've become fairly domesticated and very used to humans, for all that they aren't kept captive. Still, I'd hardly call them "wild.") I've done it, and it's pretty cool. I've also done something similar with stingrays when I vacationed on Grand Cayman, getting to hold them (I LOVE their soft, smooth skin) and feed them and such. (In fact, I got the mother of all hickies from a big, probably 6-foot-long stingray, when it missed the food I was offering in my hand and latched on to my forearm instead. They suck hard! ) I've also swum with giant sea turtles when I half-lived on Barbados for a while. All awesome experiences. So, if you ever have an opportunity to do that sort of thing, I'd definitely recommend it.

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
Scholar
#83 Old 8th Jun 2012 at 12:52 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Zandvoort
Now I know why most cats are beeing nice to us. They will take over the world when we're not expecting it.


Yes, An "I'll-be-nice-to-you-now-so-I-can-easily-dispose-of-you-as-a-potential-threat-later" scheme, I see.

(Gosh that was a lot of dashes)

Just call me Blake! :)
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Scholar
#84 Old 8th Jun 2012 at 5:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by iCad
It's an appealing idea, but don't be too fooled by their cuddly image. Intelligent animals do tend to have their dark, creepy side, just like humans, as intelligent animals, do. Like I said, chimps can be very creepy. (For instance, in the wild, small groups of male chimps will go off looking for lone chimps who aren't members of their own tribe and then kill them, apparently for fun.)


Chimps actually go to war over territory as well, it's bananas.

Dolphins may also be the only animals that kill for fun. They've also got a thing for raping porpoises, but that's not mentioned in that article. I think a lot of people like dolphins because they're usually friendly towards people and it always kind of looks like they're smiling. Man, I wish alligators were friendlier towards people, they've got cooler fake-smiles.

"You're born naked, and everything else is drag."
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Lab Assistant
#85 Old 8th Jun 2012 at 6:55 PM
The function of all beings is to live, THEY DO NOT REVOLVE AROUND HUMANS OR MAKING HUMAN LIVES EASIER.
Field Researcher
#86 Old 9th Jun 2012 at 2:57 PM
Quote: Originally posted by paksetti
Chimps actually go to war over territory as well, it's bananas.

Dolphins may also be the only animals that kill for fun. They've also got a thing for raping porpoises, but that's not mentioned in that article. I think a lot of people like dolphins because they're usually friendly towards people and it always kind of looks like they're smiling. Man, I wish alligators were friendlier towards people, they've got cooler fake-smiles.


I've never heard of them killing for fun. I know people like to sugar coat things but I should know and that's the first piece that's ever mentioned that.
there could always be those bad apples because there always is in a species but this is the same animal that saves people a lot and they're not even domestic..I think it says a lot about an animal when one has saved a surfer's life who was playing with fire (I still think it was crazy that he went back in the water too after that dolphin saved him, how do you know the shark's not gonna win next time)



Quote: Originally posted by iCad
It's an appealing idea, but don't be too fooled by their cuddly image. Intelligent animals do tend to have their dark, creepy side, just like humans, as intelligent animals, do. Like I said, chimps can be very creepy. (For instance, in the wild, small groups of male chimps will go off looking for lone chimps who aren't members of their own tribe and then kill them, apparently for fun.) Intelligent predatory animals also tend to play with their food a bit before finally killing it, a not-entirely-nice trait. Orcas are notorious for this, tossing a baby seal, for instance, back and forth between them before it eventually gets eaten. I don't know too much about dolphins, myself, but it wouldn't surprise me if they have their dark side somewhere, too, their happy, popular "Flipper" image aside.

well guys can be much creepier and downright jerky but I'm still boy crazy. I just make sure to stay away from the bad apples and as far as the ones who aren't, I wouldn't like a perfect guy so I don't expect dolphins to be either. personally I'm not big on chimps...I guess partly because they look too much like us which I find creepy.
and Rocky is the cutest thing ever but I don't tolerate when he's being shitty so I'm not going to let a dolphin push me around either.

Quote: Originally posted by iCad
That said, there ARE areas of the world where you can swim with "wild" dolphins. (I put that in quotes because, generally, they're ones who've been deliberately attracted to an area by people who run the local "swim with dolphins" business and who keep coming back because of all the food they get, and so they're ones who've become fairly domesticated and very used to humans, for all that they aren't kept captive. Still, I'd hardly call them "wild.") I've done it, and it's pretty cool. I've also done something similar with stingrays when I vacationed on Grand Cayman, getting to hold them (I LOVE their soft, smooth skin) and feed them and such. (In fact, I got the mother of all hickies from a big, probably 6-foot-long stingray, when it missed the food I was offering in my hand and latched on to my forearm instead. They suck hard! ) I've also swum with giant sea turtles when I half-lived on Barbados for a while. All awesome experiences. So, if you ever have an opportunity to do that sort of thing, I'd definitely recommend it.

Im sure there is but I'd imagine it's far away..I'm financially deficit so I'll be lucky if I get a vacation at all this year
Scholar
#87 Old 16th Jun 2012 at 3:56 AM
We've been severely lacking in bugs lately. I posted this in the chat earlier, but here's a tarantula infected with Cordyceps. The Cordyceps fungi is really cool. here's it's wikipedia page.

"Some Cordyceps species are able to affect the behavior of their insect host: Cordyceps unilateralis causes ants to climb a plant and attach there before they die. This ensures the parasite's environment is at an optimal temperature and humidity, and that maximal distribution of the spores from the fruiting body that sprouts out of the dead insect is achieved."

"You're born naked, and everything else is drag."
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Scholar
#88 Old 17th Jun 2012 at 7:06 PM
No bug = no food for many birds. No bug + no birds = big pollination.problem = less vegetable and less variety = extinction of herbivore = etc ....
Alternatively, insects are probably a major part of the solution to the famine on earth.

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"The longer something exists in this world, the more wear and tear it will have."
Scholar
#89 Old 17th Jun 2012 at 7:51 PM
@Paksetti

Awh, poor little creature.

Just call me Blake! :)
Hola, hablo español también - Hi, I speak Spanish too.
Alchemist
Original Poster
#90 Old 17th Jun 2012 at 9:01 PM
Paksetti Ew, gross :S
Where did you find that pic? You just googled -Taruntula infected with Cordyceps-?

edit: Can people get infected with that, too?

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Scholar
#91 Old 17th Jun 2012 at 10:33 PM
No, unfortunately, people can't get infected with cordyceps.




@blake- ikr?

"You're born naked, and everything else is drag."
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Last.fm
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Undead Molten Llama
#92 Old 17th Jun 2012 at 10:49 PM
Fungi are fun. And, yes, interesting, although occasionally gross. I've always liked slime molds, myself... Bizarre things. Although they are apparently not considered fungi anymore, but...protists? (Yow, macroscopic microbes, ahoy!)

*sniff* Poor tarantula *sniff*...

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
Muh Simblr! | An index of my downloads on Tumblr.
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