[ExI] extropy-chat Digest, Vol 228, Issue 5

[Stuart LaForge]

Quoting myself:


>
> A far more realistic contender for the spot of top mammal would be
> raccoons. They are smart, their populations are surging even within
> our urban centers where they are starting to outnumber rats, and they
> have opposable thumbs that allow them to operate our technology.

Even though this was a joke post, I cannot allow myself to spread  
misinformation especially about the specs of a living thing as biology  
is my first specialty. For the official record, pandas and opossums  
have opposable thumbs, but trash pandas unfortunately do not. Instead  
they have five very dexterous fingers which can reach their palms but  
not directly oppose one another. That buys us a little time before  
they take over. :)


Stuart LaForge