Wow! Not only an interesting thread to start with, but the replies, in there approach, are easily as interesting. Welcome fsmind. Hope you aren't too scared off by the agressive replies. The immediate demand for proof of claims. The picking apart of individual items in the post for internal accuracy and consistancy. Looks like I'm not needed around here anymore! :-) (Whistles while walking into the sunset...)
Tinny, what I was getting at (and without going back to check, hoped I structured correctly) was not that species lacking dexterity could not develop an higher intellect, but they could not implement it in manufacturing technology. This in a discussion RE communicating with them. e.g. I remember some years ago reading some story which was theorizing what type of life might exist on other planets in our solar system, including intellegent life. Just life that could not take advantage of technology for dexterity reasons. Such as the suggestion of "floaters" in Jupiter's atmosphere. In fact something like a jellyfish that would float thru the atmosphere. In fact (and who would be surprised) there are sites that discuss it:
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclo...piterlife.html
Santus you are confusing the ABILITY to falsify with actually proving something to be false. The idea being that something can not be shown to be true, if it is not also possible to show that it could be false. Not IS, but COULD BE.
fsmind, I agree that we need to remove our anthropomorphic biases if we are interested in allowing the greatest possibility of finding extraterrestrial life.
And No I do not think we are the only species in the universe. And not just the other species here on earth. (getting picky Tormod? lol) As in the book I have suggested on other threads here is titles "Probability One", the probability of intellegent life elsewhere in the universe is so high it is for all intents and purposes ONE (100%)
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Thanks for helping to get god pounded into my head
Another succesful faith based initiative. Just like 9/11