As to the second part, while it’s controversial in some circles that lean heavily toward divine creation or intervention, the Stoned Ape Theory is nonetheless pretty well supported. As for my exact wording; I’m also including dolphins, which do recreational drugs anyway, and suggesting outside popular theories there’s a sea fungus they’ve keyed in on in the past, as well as octopi who like to get high, even crows like a little chemical help now and again. While we don’t have direct evidence of non-ape species being particularly into eating fungus for its mind altering effects, the fact that pretty much every ‘intelligent’ species seems to enjoy recreational mind-altering drugs does point to a common origin for intelligence itself.
xD but for the fungus to activate these parts of the brain that form language etc, these parts would have to be there in the first place. it doesn’t make much sense to develop a brain and then depend on external substances to activate them. also it would be a huge disadvantage to not just always enable them, which nature surely could have done, and probably did.
Stop taking Science as a religion. Questioning theories is the foundation of science. If there is an answer, somebody will be happy to provide it. If there is none then we have to look more closely.
marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
Sure thing, my undereducated comrade.
Fungi (or protofungi) were likely the first large multi-cellular life on land, predating plants by at least a half billion years and creating the soil conditions necessary for plants to make the jump from the ocean. In fact plant life without fungal symbiosis on land likely would have been impossible.
As to the second part, while it’s controversial in some circles that lean heavily toward divine creation or intervention, the Stoned Ape Theory is nonetheless pretty well supported. As for my exact wording; I’m also including dolphins, which do recreational drugs anyway, and suggesting outside popular theories there’s a sea fungus they’ve keyed in on in the past, as well as octopi who like to get high, even crows like a little chemical help now and again. While we don’t have direct evidence of non-ape species being particularly into eating fungus for its mind altering effects, the fact that pretty much every ‘intelligent’ species seems to enjoy recreational mind-altering drugs does point to a common origin for intelligence itself.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
That just makes you wanna give shrooms to animals to see if any develop higher intelligence
gandalf_der_12te@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
xD but for the fungus to activate these parts of the brain that form language etc, these parts would have to be there in the first place. it doesn’t make much sense to develop a brain and then depend on external substances to activate them. also it would be a huge disadvantage to not just always enable them, which nature surely could have done, and probably did.
chloroken@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Motherfucker you got your answer. Stop arguing with scientists.
gandalf_der_12te@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
i’m not sure whether you’re serious. science is a process. it’s meant to continuously question everything.
plyth@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Stop taking Science as a religion. Questioning theories is the foundation of science. If there is an answer, somebody will be happy to provide it. If there is none then we have to look more closely.