Man

AliHajiSheik said:

Man is the ONLY species that seeks to preserve its weakest element.

Is this a good thing, or bad thing?

Or perhaps you disagree with the premise. Why?

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mbig said:

Disagree

Elephants Mourning (54 sec vid)
NatGeo: Elephants Mourning [their Matriarch]
Just how aware are these elephants? Some scientists think they may cry when sad, just like humans.​

Animals regularly protect their young and the pack/herd in general.
Males/Bulls/etc oft placing themselves in the forward/perimeter or strategically important defensive positions.

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AlbqOwl said:

I do believe many animals do experience grief and do mourn the loss of companions that they have an instinctive or emotional connection to. So far as we know, humans are the only species, however, to have concern for other species or even their own species that they do not know. IMO it is one of our greatest blessings and strengths and will probably be to our overall detriment as we do not seek to reproduce ourselves with our brightest and best.

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mbig 5/10/12 said:

[......]
But you point to a relatively new development that could indeed lead us back down the IQ scale. I suspect it's happening as we speak.
And you're pointing to an evolutionary Exception, Not the rule (another fallacious tactic) of Billions of years of predation and survival of the fittest.
Certainly This was Not the case until well after Our specie evolved and into mere recent micro-time. Where things like First World Charity are Nursing/procreating Tens/Hundreds of millions in the Third.

Tucker said:

Now, some people like to cite the positive correlation between IQ and longevity/mortality to counter that, but evolution is not about longevity and mortality, it's about procreating successfully and having the young live long enough to do so themselves. A person who lives to 75 and has no kids is an evolutionary failure, while a person who only lives to 25 but has 7 kids who eventually combine for 49 grand-kids is an evolutionary success story. Big time.

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No, evolution of the more highly intelligent would be not only be conscious of the amount of male sons, but of the planet's constraints.
The epitomy of IQ/evolution may very well be a static population who realizes their limits as opposed to the 'Easter Island' hustle. Again, It's an interesting and only very very modern quandary I'm sure some have noticed.

This modern quandary of higher reproduction of the lesser intelligent could lead to world say, of great inequality of income and concentrated wealth. Hmmmm.
And say places where wealth and the middle class is increasing? China. Hmmm. (and others not)
The latter where people were 'smart' enough to realize this modern new problem and institute a 'one child' policy. Hmmmm.
The planet Rampant with Confirmation.
[......]

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mbig said:

Disagree

Elephants Mourning (54 sec vid)
NatGeo: Elephants Mourning [their Matriarch]
Just how aware are these elephants? Some scientists think they may cry when sad, just like humans.​

Animals regularly protect their young and the pack/herd in general.
Males/Bulls/etc oft placing themselves in the forward/perimeter or strategically important defensive positions.

Click to expand...

AliHajiSheik said:

Interesting take on the question. I do think that most species will take care of their young, but there are also situations where the "runts" of the litter are discarded.

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