Existential Reflections - which is the best species on the planet?

[Raw Nature]

At our best, we probably are but on average we're definitely not.

Criteria =

• functional flexibility (so how many things can they do?) 
• environmental diversity (how many environments can they traverse?)
• in group cooperation (so how well do they cooperate together?)

Just haphazardly brainstorming for now on my break, will add more categories feel free to suggest some but off the top of my head even though these two species don't necessarily score very highly on one or more of these characteristics in general I like them more than humans.

1. Orca whales (very loyal, great cooperation, highly intelligent)

2. Ants (work incredibly well together, can adapt to many different environments sometimes better than humans other times not)

 

Animals I don't really think are all that great:

1. Apes (I like them they're cool but they just seem like a human experiment gone wrong - poorly treated by us)

 

 

Animals I don't really like:

1. Great white sharks (pure loners, just predacious)

Edited February 13, 2020 by Raw Nature

[Forestluv]

I would put bacteria on the list. They may rank #1 for environmental diversity and high for cooperation and function. They are decomposers and can carry out photosynthesis. As well, the cooperation of microbiomes is extraordinary. They are symbiotic with human structure and function- including  metabolism, immune function and brain develop and function. This greatly expands their cooperative functional capacity. 

[remember]

i would also have a look into mushrooms and trees.

and parasites vs symbionts. and then you have the special case of co evolution - that’s a really interesting example.

Edited February 13, 2020 by remember

[Raw Nature]

Good ideas, the relationship I notice is that as an organism becomes larger the more from an abstract point of view it is more complex and therefore more vulnerable to being less adaptive.

In so saying as much, to make it a little more interesting and difficult one recommendation I have is thinking about larger animals and their distinct roles compared to one another, how they stack up etc.

 

[Florian]

Why do you do this list?

[Forestluv]

3 hours ago, remember said:

i would also have a look into mushrooms and trees.

and parasites vs symbionts. and then you have the special case of co evolution - that’s a really interesting example.

These are fascinating areas. Two of the largest organisms on earth is an Aspen Forest in Colorado (a large forest that is one organism) and a mushroom in Oregon that spans 4 square miles.

As well, symbionts blur the lines of what an "organism" is. For example, is the human gut microbiome "human cells?". Removing that microbiome causes all sorts of physiological problems. As well, the microbiome has direct communication to immune system cells and the brain (via the vagus nerve). Calling a an epithelial cell in the gut a "human cell" and a microbial cell in the gut a "non-human cell" is an arbitrary categorization. 

[Raw Nature]

@Florian  Its important for us to create our own education in every moment, that's something that was stolen from us with the status quo that education only comes in the form of debt, dorm rooms, old people and libraries with outdated computers. Self education is paramount to self actualisation, in essence it is HALF of self actualisation, the rest is action.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Raw Nature

[Raw Nature]

I did after all say species and not animals, so don't sweat it feel free to list whatever species that is of your personal interest@Serotoninluv

[Forestluv]

@Raw Nature Larger animals are cool too. In this context, I would rank puffins high up. 

[remember]

13 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

As well, symbionts blur the lines of what an "organism" is. For example, is the human gut microbiome "human cells?". Removing that microbiome causes all sorts of physiological problems. As well, the microbiome has direct communication to immune system cells and the brain (via the vagus nerve). Calling a an epithelial cell in the gut a "human cell" and a microbial cell in the gut a "non-human cell" is an arbitrary categorization. 

or we could also ask is a human living in the gut of a forest part of the forest?

[Raw Nature]

 @Serotoninluv what do you personally know about puffins? I don't know much about them.

[seeking_brilliance]

I'm team tardigrade

Scratch that, I'm team octopus

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by seeking_brilliance

[Forestluv]

18 minutes ago, Raw Nature said:

 @Serotoninluv what do you personally know about puffins? I don't know much about them.

I would consider puffins to be the highest animal naturally adapted to water, earth and air. 

[remember]

2 hours ago, seeking_brilliance said:

I'm team tardigrade

Scratch that, I'm team octopus

 

that’s so cute.

[Florian]

@Raw Nature But what is the purpose of this list? I dont get it

I mean like, do you want to learn about this or do you thing this is valueble information for everybody?

Edited February 14, 2020 by Florian

[Raw Nature]

@Florian to know you probably have less brain cells than both orca whales and some species of dolphin (humans at a minimum on average legitimately have less) and are therefore less intelligent  ?

Edited February 14, 2020 by Raw Nature

[Raw Nature]

I will investigate more about tardigrades and puffins cool

Edited February 14, 2020 by Raw Nature

[Raw Nature]

Who here is against zooifying these animals?

I am, especially orca whales and dolphins I think it's so inhumane given orcas (and arguably dolphins) are definitely smarter on average (it's the equivalent of just going up to random people on the street, storing them in a prison and then asking them to be obedient performers in a circus once a day/week/month)

Edited February 14, 2020 by Raw Nature

[Danioover9000]

11 minutes ago, Raw Nature said:

Who here is against zooifying these animals?

I am, especially orca whales and dolphins I think it's so inhumane given orcas (and arguably dolphins) are definitely smarter on average (it's the equivalent of just going up to random people on the street, storing them in a prison and then asking them to be obedient performers in a circus once a day/week/month)

   I'm against that practice too. The only thing that makes sense is when they do it with endangered species.

[seeking_brilliance]

@Danioover9000

10 hours ago, Danioover9000 said:

   I'm against that practice too. The only thing that makes sense is when they do it with endangered species.

I'm on the fence with that... Species are supposed to become endangered and die off, it's the balance..