[ExI] ep thought experiment

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of
Keith Henson via extropy-chat


>...I suspect that people have been finding intelligence attractive for a
long time...

No doubt about that.  It isn't as highly ranked as I would like to see it,
but it is attractive.  We can thank Bill Gates for part of its increase in
popularity.


> ... and ability to physically drive off raiders (now useless (we have
machines for that))

>...AI fighting robots may be coming, but they are not here yet...

Actually I was thinking of firearms.


>>... rather than primarily
by intelligence is now humanity's barrier to a better future.  What was once
a stepping stone is now a stumbling block.

...


>> Our stone-age evolved psychological traits are preventing humans from
evolving into those bulbous-headed creatures who rebuilt Kirk in the
original Star Trek pilot.

>...Ah, we *have* evolved into bulbous-headed creatures.  Ever looked at the
cranial capacity of Australopithecines?  William Calvin thinks the big brain
evolved to support accurate throwing, something we can do and chimps
can't...

I have long been interested in that notion since I was introduced to it.
The hand and shoulder structure is different between chimps and humans.  The
notion is that protochimps/protohumans diverged because one guy figured out
how to hunt by hurling stones at prey.  This got me to thinking, realizing
that scenario is very plausible.  It would lead to upright walking, bigger
brains, the greater differentiation between hands and feet from
specialization.

Hikers find a good example of prey (marmots) which have enough meat on them
to be worth attempting to bean with a stone, plus plenty of good stones.  A
good baseball pitcher can hit a marmot-sized target with a baseball.  It
stands to reason that a pre-stone age hunter could hit one occasionally.  I
see that theory as plausible.

>...Some traits like status seeking we probably don't want to turn off...
Keith

That depends on the circumstances.  It is easy enough to imagine status
seeking as a mixed bag or even a maladaptive trait, depending on the
situation.

spike