Science Forums 2

[Boerseun]

Well, humans (physically speaking, of course) suck at nearly everything. We can't run fast (never could), we can't fly, we don't have talons, our canines are our only natural weapons, and they've atrophied due to our generalized diets to an akward bastard offspring that looks like a molar from the left and an incisor from the right.

And it is exactly this generalization in our design that necessitated the invention of tools, seeing as we had to come up with something to make up for our general suction.

And tool use stimulated brain growth, which enabled more complex tool design, which stimulated more brain growth, which enabled yet more complicated tool design, which... you get the picture.

This generalized design has taken us from flint knives to hydrogen bombs. It could be said with some justice that The Bomb is simply a Very Big Hammer. This process is still going on, but with the increase in knowledge, and the sophistication of our modern-day 'flint knives', compartementalization of knowledge has become necessary. No one person could rebuild society based on what he knows. A person can be a rocket scientist, but know precious little of the metallurgy required to cast his booster's combustion chamber parts, or know much about the refinery processes involved in getting his fuel.

So it is debatable whether the increase in compartementalized knowledge would stimulate further brain growth. Seeing as we live in a society that praises mediocrity and allows the stupid to breed like rabbits, brainy people seem to be selected against, funny enough.