We say 'humans are the most intellegent species on the planet'......?

Question

we took it for granted? or did other species vote for us??

Answer 1

i dont think so, we're still animals when it comes to the raw facts. if you put a lion in a room with a human, who would survive? who is the smartest hunter?

Answer 2

So it seems.

Answer 3

We couldn't understand what they had to say, so their votes were invalid.  If you want to be taken seriously, you must speak Human.

Answer 4

well that is a good question, i've just got an image in my head now of an elephant vote counter a giraff with a pair of glasses on reading out the result and a load of other animals mainly squirells raising thier hands/paw/trunk/wotevr  ok if everone didn't think i was crazy allready...

Answer 5

It all depends on how you are measuring, and what you are calling intelligence.  As time goes on and humans work at being less species-centric in their approach to measuring intelligence we learn that other animals have incredible abilities and that they are as or more intelligent than we are in their own ways.  Many are far more self aware than we used to give them credit for and many have incredible memory and mapping abilities.  So I personally don't think we are the most intelligent, we just have the most complex open call system (language) and we can survive in a wide variety of habitats (due to tool usage) unlike most animals who are adapted for very specific habitats and don't have the ability to use tools to survive in adverse habitats.

Answer 6

We take it for granted and I think we are wrong.

Answer 7

We are the best because we can make pancakes and no other animal can.

Answer 8

We are smarter in different ways. A lion may be a better hunter, but when calamities occur, who is the better survivor?

Answer 9

The humans who actually believe that intelligence can be defined with the biases of a species that is under the impression that they are the "Supreme" species will tell you that, "Yes, it is obvious," but anyone who has a bigger idea of life, and can see the detriment that the human species has caused in their "so called" advanced understanding of the world, will say that it is all relative, just because we have found ourselves to be the most influential species on the planet, does not mean we have it all figured out. It seems our species is more interested in justifying it's domination of the planet, than "intelligently" respecting it.

Answer 10

I think this is taken for granted.  One of the most difficult challenges in comparative psychology is determining how to test intelligence in other species.  Another problem is determining what intelligence is.  How do you give a dolphin an IQ test, and what would be on it?

Answer 11

Point taken.  I guess the joke's on us :)

Answer 12

The scientific method of research is such that it must be conducted in such a way that it can be repeated by anyone under those same conditions and they will have identical outcomes.

IQ is based on and individual being tested on several topics. Thes include the abitlity to see shapes, colors, patterns, solve equations etc.

Because other species do not have the ability to participate these tests, they are excluded from the higher intelligence arena. Therefore humans are considered the most intelligent.

What supports this theory are things like size of the brain. Development of the brain. Abilities to rationalize and be civilized etc.

These are all things that can be measured and tested using the scientific method which can be duplicated by you. Therefore giving integrity to the saying "humans are the most intelligent species on the planet"

Answer 13

Actually, dolphins are more intellegent in IQ than humans even though they can't talk! =)

Answer 14

I think we should look closer at the world of an ant...before we fully decide that we are the smartest...

They are strong, loyal, they work together for the betterment of the community...they accomplish great things with all their diligent work ethics....

Why can't us humans figure this out?

Answer 15

I think, perhaps it is because the environment is a product of us, we are not a product of the environment, that sperates us form other animals.

Also use of tools and machines to take our species outside of our native "area" (i.e. we are land creatures, but we have stepped into both the sea and space).

Answer 16

Humans are low on a scale of intelligence compared with some animals.

We Know that we are destroying our Earth and yet continue to accelereate the rate of destruction.

We continue to find more disgusting ways to kill vast numbers of civilisation.

Does a dolphin swim around wondering how it can manufacture chemical and biological weapons to wipe out its own species (and several others) - no.

I can't think of any animal that would want to accelerate its own

impending doom (unless it felt good).

Answer 17

Humans are thought to the most intelligent species on the planet because we can walk upright, think and speak aloud and use our brains to create/innovate things for our use besides controlling other creatures on this planet.

Recent scientific research claimed that humans (the scientists)  are using only 1-2% of their developed brains power (i.e. intelligence).

I just wonder what would become of humans if they could use 100% of their brain power???

Answer 18

Mice > Dolphins > Humans > everything else

Answer 19

Do you see any monkeys coming up with mathmatical theories and such?

Answer 20

This answer is for "Emily". Have you asked a monkey (in "monkey-speak" mind you) what he thinks about math? Perhaps they (or other animals) have this figured out. How would we know? I only speak one language myself and would have a hard time determining what mathematical theories were held by a person who did not speak my language. Personally I think house cats are the most superior species on the planet. They work less for more reward than anything I can think of.

Answer 21

actually... we are not.

certain types of birds and dolphins are more intellegent then ourselves.

Answer 22

One thing is for sure, humans are so smart but yet we keep destroying the planet.   I don't know of any other species that is contributing to that.

Answer 23

Really, d**n all this time i allways thought the frog was the most inteligent, oh what a fool I am

Answer 24

What have other species accomplished?

Sorry to answer a question with a question Captain Obvious.

Answer 25

Of course we are the most intellegent species. Intelegence is about thinking and reasoning and humans excell at that.

Our brains are different to any other animals. It is bigger and more sophisticated. language is probably the big defining factor that distinguishes us from animals. even though we can teach some animals to communicate, the complexity and depth we have far outstrips other animals.

We also have thumbs. No other animal can use thier thumbs like we can and manipulating the enviroment they way we do can not be done by any other animal.

Don't get me wrong; Although I think we are the most intelegent animal, doesn't mean we aint stupid.

Answer 26

we can debate if the animals everyone has mentioned are smarter than humans when one of them signs onto this site and takes part in the debate.

Answer 27

Humans assume they are the most intelligent species, not realising that only some of them are more intelligent than other species. I have neighbours who are not only rather less intelligent than a border collie or Alsatian, but would struggle to compete with the intellect of the most stupid Labrador I've owned. The sort of person who can become a senior officer in Fife constabulary but views people who like reading with suspicion. Quite frightening really.

If you have read or heard any Douglas Adams, you will know that humans consider themselves superior to dolphins because they like mucking about in water, and dolphins consider themselves superior to humans for the same reason.

Answer 28

We think we are the most intelligent because we judge intelligence by our own human rules and criteria. And apply it to all other animals.  If a genetics genius and an auto mechanic both took an auto mechanic exam, then its most likely that the mechanic will appear to be the more intelligent.