Human Supremacy

[Lightkeeper]

Fascinating posts, as always painted wolf. I think it's also worthy to note that, though we have thus far limited our discussion to Earth, theoretically there are beings far more intelligent and technologically advanced than humans all throughout the universe (and even, perhaps, our own galaxy).

If this is true wouldn't these beings have paid us a visit or contacted us?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

If this is true wouldn't these beings have paid us a visit or contacted us?

Not necessarily. There is no reason to believe that equally or more intelligent/technologically advanced species, if they exist, should have visited Earth by now. Heck, we haven't even got past our Moon yet.....and the satellites we sent out of our solar system won't reach the nearest star cluster until long after our Sun explodes.

 

[Saw11_2000]

That's in about 6 billion years right?

 

[michel]

I'll tell you when I die (if I'm allowed to).

 

[Majikthise]

Yes ,we have learned how to control most animal speices on this planet and even managed to coexist(sometimes)with others.But we will NEVER be superior to the Earth itself.Geological and meteorlogical control of the Earth is like the idea of a time machine.It makes for interesting science fiction but the devil (sorry satan) is in the details.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Yes, we are superior to any animal. From bacteria to lions, and tigers, and bears, we can conquer all of them, and rule. What else did you expect from a Humanist

We're not conquering the bacteria though, are we? With an infinitely shorter generation than us they adapt themselves eventually to everything we throw at them. Viruses the same.
There are strains of multi-drug resistant beasties all overthe place, and their numbers are increasing hourly.
Mark my words...something we can't see without aid will eventually bring us down.
Assuming we don't kill ourselves first, of course.

 

[Saw11_2000]

But, has any one particular species of bacteria conquered us yet? No.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Saw-- That depends on how you look at it. We couldn't survive without the colonies of helpful bacteria that live in our digestive systems, for example. Are we their servants, or are they ours? It's all relative, I suppose.

 

[LordZer]

Well i do agree with the posts stating that we would be at the mercy of a super bug, that applies only to masses of humans. Considering all the bunkers the united states and other countries have and our level of technology, we could, in theroy, just scorch the earth and eliminate mostly all of it and then just wait it out.

Just a thought

 

[Sunstone]

To suggest that we are superior to other life on this earth seems to be based on ancient and inaccurate myth. We are not superior to nature, but a intregal part of it. We must learn to act within the bounds set for us by nature, rather than trying to shape nature to solely to our uses.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

But, has any one particular species of bacteria conquered us yet? No.

Have we actually conquered ANY species of bacteria? No. The war wages on, and it's not one we're winning.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Not necessarily. There is no reason to believe that equally or more intelligent/technologically advanced species, if they exist, should have visited Earth by now. Heck, we haven't even got past our Moon yet.....and the satellites we sent out of our solar system won't reach the nearest star cluster until long after our Sun explodes.

You said in your first post that there were probably beings that were "far more intelligent and technologically advanced than we are." If that is the case, they could be able to contact us.

 

[Saw11_2000]

We are winning the war on bacteria. I am just saying that we are the most dominating species on the earth right now. No one has as much power as us. And yes, I know that there can be resistant bacteria. But, no bacteria is immune to every antibiotic we have, and I know we have at least 45 antibiotics or so. And, I also doubt that a single strain of virus/bacteria would wipe out our entire race.

 

[Saw11_2000]

Sorry about that...I don't think 45 but here's the ones that I know about.

aminoglycosides

• amikacin
• dibekacin
• gentamicin
• kanamycin
• neomycin
• netilmicin
• paromomycin
• sisomycin
• streptomycin
• tobramycin

beta-lactam ring antibiotics

• carbapenems
  • ertapenem
  • imipenem
  • meropenem
• cephalosporins and cephamycins
  • cephalexin
  • cefuroxime
  • cefadroxil
  • ceftazidime
• monocyclic beta-lactams
• penicillins

glycopeptide antibiotics

• vancomycin
• teicoplanin
• ramoplanin
• decaplanin

macrolides

• erythromycin
• azithromycin
• clarithromycin
• roxithromycin
• ketolides
  • telithromycin

oxazolidinones

• linezolid
• quinupristin/dalfopristin

polymyxins

• polymyxin B
• colistin

quinolones (fluoroquinolones)

• nalidixic acid
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• ofloxacin
• norfloxacin (Norflox)
• levofloxacin (Levaquin)
• trovafloxacin (Trovan)

streptogramins
sulfonamides
tetracyclines

• doxycycline
• oxytetracycline
• chlortetracycline

other important antibiotics:

• chloramphenicol
• clindamycin
• fusidic acid
• trimethoprim

 

[Yerda]

We are winning the war on bacteria. I am just saying that we are the most dominating species on the earth right now. No one has as much power as us. And yes, I know that there can be resistant bacteria. But, no bacteria is immune to every antibiotic we have, and I know we have at least 45 antibiotics or so. And, I also doubt that a single strain of virus/bacteria would wipe out our entire race.

War?

What do you mean exactly when you say dominating species and power?

To be honest I get the impression that long after mammals are gone bacteria will be hanging around as it was before.

 

[Doc]

I have no doubt that most of the dinosaurs felt they were superior beings on Earth and undefeatable. But hey, look what happened to them. I have a feeling that humans will destroy themselves or the poor environment will. Our bodies will just become the soil for the next self proclaimed superior beings.

 

[Israel]

You said in your first post that were probably beings that were "far more intelligent and technologically advanced than we are." If that is the case, they could be able to contact us.

Hypothetical question: If there were more intelligent life, would they really want to contact a lowly species that can't even conquer poverty, greed, hatred, or intolerance? Our lives have many more luxuries now, but have we solved a single one of the temptations faced by man thousands or millions of years ago?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

You said in your first post that were probably beings that were "far more intelligent and technologically advanced than we are." If that is the case, they could be able to contact us.

No, that is a non-sequitur. There could be far more intelligent and technologically advanced beings who cannot, do not want to, or have not yet contacted us.

 

[Israel]

I don't think anyone has yet brought up the point that we are entirely dependent upon the earth. One small shift in axis or gravitational pull and we are all ash or icicles.
Not to mention, the gaseous layers over our heads that keeps deadly radiation out, the same layers we keep on Lysoling away. As bent and obsessed with self-destruction, I choke on a description of humanity as intelligent: We know a great deal, we have the capacity to live good lives based upon our knowledge, but we choose not to.
As vicious as it may be, the animal kingdom is also self-sufficient; Animals know their needs and they consume, contribute, and reproduce as fast as they can, filling the earth with ever more species and variety. Humanity has had its tendency to kill the animal kingdom, mutilate plants, and leave behind enormous concrete tombstones of cities over once beautiful lands. And then to trumpet their superiority, they go about killing each other. There are hundreds of wars raging this very minute, not to mention our enormous human potential for the future in the form of nuclear warheads aimed at every major city.

 

[Circle_One]

Saw, you continue to bring up the point of ourdominance over other living beings on this earth as your argument for why you feel we are the superior beings, yet, you didn't answer a question I posed earlier: If we are superior because we can dominate other beings on this earth, then does that make a man who hits a woman as a means of dominating her make him superior to her?

As I've already stated, we are at the mercy of the other living things on this planet, should they all cease to exist, we would soon follow, but really, if we were to cease to exist first, would all animal/plant/bacteria life etc. follow suit? I don't think so, but that's just my thoughts. Are all other beings on this planet as dependant on us as we are on them?