re: Anthropologists, at what point do you believe we became sentient?

Those with the degree or practicing?

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We can probably go ahead and rule out the years before earth formed.

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That's the kind of hasty conclusion that leads to bad science, brochacho.

I give a frick ;)

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That's the kind of hasty conclusion that leads to bad science, brochacho.

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What if humans were influenced by an alien race and this is actually true? Or what if we are part alien?

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Are you referring to the duality of man?

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I don’t believe current theory sees this event as a “species 99 didn’t have and then species 100 had it” - sort of thing.

While no where near understood fully, I believe modern neuroscientists see it as a slow, gradual accumulation of cognitive ability leading to expansive thought, self-realization, and innovation (especially).

Sorta like trying to navigate in the dark before sunrise. Every minute things get clearer. Little by little. Until at some point the trail is clear. Except this happens on a Population Scale, not the individual.


But there’s more to it than just accumulating the potential brain capacity. That’s the harder and more mysterious part to the study of sentience/the mind. At what point is something complex enough to “think”? Then at what point is “Thinking” = “Sentience”?

I know my dog can think because I see him do it when I hide his toy behind my back. He can figure that out but i also know he’ll never figure out tool use in a million years. But a crow knows how to use tools and even does so to find food. How is this possible with their drastic brain differences? Does either of these things mean their Sentient? I don’t know.

I think we’re going to have a hard time figuring it out until what makes something “Sentient” has a set criteria. Even then, I doubt it will fit all examples. (Especially once intelligent life outside earth is discovered and gets in the mix)

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but i also know he’ll never figure out tool use in a million years

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Don't be so sure. Dogs have opened doors among other feats, the definition of tool use. It all depends if the opportunity is there for them to apply it and if they have the will.

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mean their Sentient?

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Oh, you were so close.

I don’t think it is a thing that occurred at just 1 point in time. It likely developed over a few million years as the homo species developed, as homo brain capacity evolved, as tribes/groups/societies formed, as language developed, so came morality, self-awareness, abstract thinking, empathy, etc. It’s probably been an ongoing process for something like the last 2-5 million years.

Back in the good ole days there was apparently a few factions of humanoids roaming the earth and Homo sapiens came out on top. I can't remember the name of the theory but it states that homo sapiens won because of intellect over strength. What if extra terrestrials formulated this event to detect the superior gene? and who's to say we're not the only ones put through this trial?