Will humanity be replaced?

Antediluvian · Post by **Antediluvian** » 2002-08-21 11:25pm

What I mean is, will there arise a species that will someday replace humanity as the dominant species down the evolutionary road?

How feasible is this?

Be honest.

Next of Kin · Post by **Next of Kin** » 2002-08-21 11:41pm

Dominant in which sense? Supposedly, giant squid have more bio-mass than humans.

Here's the link for more info:

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s637556.htm

Antediluvian · Post by **Antediluvian** » 2002-08-22 12:14am

Next of Kin wrote:Dominant in which sense? Supposedly, giant squid have more bio-mass than humans.

Here's the link for more info:

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s637556.htm

In all senses. A lifeform that is superior to us physically and mentally and ends up taking over.

So is it very plausible, in oh say, a million years or more from now?

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2002-08-22 12:28am

Portions of humanity as we know it will probably transform themselves first into cyborgs and eventually into computers as uploaded intelligences. These subgroups will speciate rather quickly and will become the offspring of humanity. The matter of biological humanity's survival on a planet shared by technologically-enhanced humanity and any number of post-singularity uploaded/designed AI hyperinteligences is somewhat of an open question.

For some (perhaps overly optimistic) thoughts on posthumanism and the future of the human race, take a look at http://www.kurzweilai.net.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-08-22 12:34am

For a new sentient race to surpass us, I think we would have to gone away.

I dont think a new race can surpass us while we are here. No planet of the Apes for us.

But, should the human race die off, can a new race come of age so to speak?

A good question is now that humans have mined out so many of the easily recoverable minerals would a new race have a chance to go through its own equivelant of a Bronze Age, etc.

Antediluvian · Post by **Antediluvian** » 2002-08-22 12:41am

Guess I'm reading too much Lovecraft.

XPViking · Post by **XPViking** » 2002-08-22 02:16am

Elightenment,

Thanks for the link! Here's another one that I've used sometimes:

http://hometown.aol.com/kurellian/spint.html

XPViking

Mr. B · Post by **Mr. B** » 2002-08-22 03:33am

Yes, humanity wil be replaced by superintelligent penguins. Right now they are plotting the enslavement and extermination of humanity.

(palpatine voice) I have foreseen it.(palpatine voice)

Don't look at another penguin the same again.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-08-22 07:00am

Funny I though the squires where trying to take us over at last check, I though we beat the Pengiuin threat once and for all at the Battle of Large chuncks of Ice 1983 when the united UN Armys beat back a secret attack by the pengiuin mafia

(Lets that one sink into everyones minds)

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2002-08-22 09:00am

TrailerParkJawa wrote:For a new sentient race to surpass us, I think we would have to gone away.

I dont think a new race can surpass us while we are here. No planet of the Apes for us.

But, should the human race die off, can a new race come of age so to speak?

I agree. Humans are very intolerant to to rival human groups. Competition from a different species wouldn't be tolerated.

If humans still exist then unless that new species has built in nuclear weapons, or some kind of super biological attack, they'd lose. But, humans are pretty much everywhere, the competition between humans and this other species would develop over time, and human know-how seems to work faster than evolution (Eg. We're winning the rainforest battle, those rainforest species don't know what hit them

).

-----
Although, I do think its possible that another species could develop the capacity for a civilization, which I'd consider to be language. But I don't see how that species could develop an advanced one such as our own if we're still here.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2002-08-22 11:32am

Anything tries to depose us and we'll kill it. That simple really. Humanity ain't known for tolerance.

Imperial Federation · Post by **Imperial Federation** » 2002-08-22 11:32am

But, humans are pretty much everywhere, the competition between humans and this other species would develop over time, and human know-how seems to work faster than evolution (Eg. We're winning the rainforest battle, those rainforest species don't know what hit them ).

They'll get their revenge when all those horrible rainforest diseases are let out and we all die and we get replaced by bees.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2002-08-22 11:50am

I think that the age of the dinosaurs pretty much proved that you don't need to be smart to doiminate. If you look throughout nature's history, it has been an animal with either brute strength, size, etc that have dominated, even the lowly ant could be the next dominant species with their industrious natures and social system. Man is unique in that we are not specialized in a way to survive, we don't have thick skin, claws, flight, speed, etc. We DO have a brain and that has obvioulsy led us to great heights. But at no time in our prehistory was that survival assured. We worked hard to get to where we are.

If we are replaced it will probably come from the insect world. MAybe ants or bees (most likely ants) and they will dominate for awhile until the next extinction event.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2002-08-22 04:23pm

XPViking wrote: http://hometown.aol.com/kurellian/spint.html

Frankly this site looks to be more than a little kooky. As a setting for an RPG or half-baked scifi series it's mediocre but barely passable, but as an attempt to predict the future it should be taken with a death star mass of salt.

Sothis · Post by **Sothis** » 2002-08-22 05:30pm

We'll probably have evolved and/or moved to new worlds, and one day we'll come back all Vorlon-esque (well, one can but hope

), to discover a humanoid society living in our old stomping grounds!!! Grrrr!

Most likely evolved from insects, with a communist society that actually works!

Antediluvian · Post by **Antediluvian** » 2002-08-22 06:18pm

If we are replaced it will probably come from the insect world. MAybe ants or bees (most likely ants) and they will dominate for awhile until the next extinction event.[/quote]

That's what Lovecraft thought, only for him it was big beetles.

XPViking · Post by **XPViking** » 2002-08-22 07:14pm

Elightenment,

Agreed. It's just fun to look at once in a while. Certainly there must be better ones out there.

XPViking

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2002-08-22 07:37pm

We'll vanish someday.. It's inevitable. Nothing lasts forever.

If we get wiped out on the planet, and our civilization crumbles around us, it won't be that hard for another civilization to start. We've conveniently placed so much of the iron and bronze and so forth on one layer.

If we do evolve ourself into cybernetic or digital existances, we will likely eventually leave Earth.. And someday, I think, something else will rise up.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2002-08-22 08:05pm

http://www.orionsarm.com/

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-08-22 08:37pm

Mr Bean wrote:Funny I though the squires where trying to take us over at last check, I though we beat the Pengiuin threat once and for all at the Battle of Large chuncks of Ice 1983 when the united UN Armys beat back a secret attack by the pengiuin mafia
(Lets that one sink into everyones minds)

I've gotten my Beaver forces up to the assault rifle level, but there still having trouble with Stinger MANPADS, something about the length of the missile, the block IIIB Clones are twice as big and should.., Fuck, I've said to much..

*Throws smoke bomb and dives though fifth story window onto waiting Helicopter *

Raziel · Post by **Raziel** » 2002-08-23 04:24am

Who's to say whether humanity will be around in another 50 years? Assuming we don't blow ourselves to kingdom come, I seriously doubt that we'll be replaced by another dominant species; hell, even if we blow ourselves away there's a good chance there wouldn't be another dominant species.

In my opinion, humans are a fluke. While we aren't particularly large or strong, we have amazing brains coupled with an almost unique bloodthirsty aggression. When we move into an environment, we don't try to fit into it we immediate set about subjugating it our needs. 100 000 years ago, that meant clearly defining the tribe's stomping grounds. Nowadays, that means laying down cities and creating civilisations.

I challenge all of you to name a species for me that has done everything humanity has done. Namely, dominate the surface of the entire planet. Insects don't count; considering how large we are our population is WAY off the chart, as far as natures laws go (prey in greater numbers, fewer predators = population balance).

Eleas · Post by **Eleas** » 2002-08-23 08:02am

Enlightenment wrote:
XPViking wrote: http://hometown.aol.com/kurellian/spint.html
Frankly this site looks to be more than a little kooky. As a setting for an RPG or half-baked scifi series it's mediocre but barely passable, but as an attempt to predict the future it should be taken with a death star mass of salt.

For a similar, but rather more extensive, transhumanist fictional setting, check out Orion's Arm.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-23 08:43pm

If you mean dominant in that we can affect the ecosystems of the world through decisions, and have industrial capacity, I find it unlikely that humans will ever be replaced because humans are so good at wiping out other life. Also, I don't see any other evolutionary trees that can hope to compete with humans and their abilities to manipulate environments AND with our ability to reason. Perhaps, if humans wipe themselves out, then there will be another dominant species (in terms of biomass), but it is highly unlikely that insects will ever evolve to match us for intelligence. We are flattering ourselves if we believe that insects would evolve to be like us, why would they need to? Insects are already enormously versatile and have a HUGE genetic diversity. They have no need to be intelligent, or anywhere near as large as we are now. In fact, it is actually immensely difficult for them to be very large because their lungs are only efficient for small animals, and exoskeletons lose effectiveness as the size of the organism rises. I find it highly unlikely that any other organisms from Earth will ever evolve to be anything like us.