NOT AS SMART AS WE THINK
Humans top a list of 30 creatures that possess what has been called the “God-given gift” of intelligence, of which there are more than 70 accepted definitions. However, thanks to a combination of skewed values, lack of empathy and just plain ignorance, we’re in danger of slipping down in the ratings.
Considering that the roster includes pigs, rats, llamas, hyenas and a type of spider that practices the arachnid version of cannibalism, that ought to be a bit of a worry.
The intelligence of dogs, which rank well up on the list, varies by breed. One wonders what category of humans pay a fortune to “canine resorts” that offer, among other things, mud baths and blueberry facials. And for those who really do have more money than brains, one “resort’ will collect your dog in a Lamborghini.
Since dogs’ sense of smell is 10,000 times better than a human’s, a real treat for them is riding with their head out the window; it’s how they survey and understand the world. They don’t care if it’s from hanging out of a $200K+ sports car, or a battered pickup truck.
If a website called Nextdoor.com is to be believed, it’s a good thing canines won the olfactory prize in the genes lottery. A “vegan couple” used the site to complain about the smell of their neighbor’s barbecue invading their “meat-free radius.”
That (hopefully) must hold top spot on any of the welter of silliness/fragility/entitlement scales invented by humans so far.
BUT THEN AGAIN…
On a more serious note, two years ago I wrote that in a world beset by problems, there was something to celebrate – the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, which “ensured that one place on earth has never seen war, the environment is fully protected and scientific research has priority. It is arguably the most successful agreement of its kind.”
The orcas that ply the waters the treaty protects also rank high on the intelligence register. And they’re too smart to mess up the place where they live. It takes humans to wreck what their (allegedly) superior intelligence vowed to preserve.
China has built a new research station on the seventh continent without submitting the necessary environmental evaluations.
Russian fishing vessels “spoof” their locations to hide illegal fishing in protected south polar waters.
The Iranian military claims Tehran has “property rights” at the South Pole, and plans to build a permanent base in Antarctica.
Meanwhile and everywhere else, artificial intelligence is rapidly superseding the genetic version. Certainly science and many aspect of daily life can be enhanced by the power of AI. On the downside, the rewards that come from hard work turning inspiration and ideas into reality, especially in the creative arts, are lost.
Does anyone really believe AI can surpass the dexterity and mental prowess of the great musical composers, choreographers or writers whose creations make us glow with joy, re-think our condition, nod with the satisfaction of acquired wisdom?
And if AI is so smart, why hasn’t it figured out how to deal with the monumental amount of destruction and pollution it creates in order to “create”?
WHAT SEEMS TO MATTER
One would also expect that the species with the highest level of intelligence to have evolved a higher, or at least more balanced scale of values than we seem to have managed.
Among the most admirable people I met in years of reporting on disasters, both man-made and natural, were aid workers who, if they were given hazard, overtime and working conditions adjustments on their salaries, or paid union wages, would be more than any employer could afford.
By way of comparison, in 2023, the world’s top 50 athletes “hauled in an estimated $3.44 billion…before taxes and agents’ fees, up 16% from last year’s record of $2.97 billion.” That’s before endorsements and other easy money.
Sixteen of 2023’s 50 top-earning athletes are under 30, including five who are 25 or younger.
No one should begrudge athletes and other highly skilled people making a lot of money doing what they have spent years of their lives to perfect.
The question is, how much is enough?
It depends on perspective.
Aid agencies reported that the funding gap for hunger appeals grew by 23 percent in 2023, with 65% of needs unmet at the beginning of 2024.
Meanwhile, Americans alone now spend more than half a billion dollars each year on pet Halloween costumes.
George Bernard Shaw is credited with the phrase “youth is wasted on the young”.
If the great Irish dramatist was around today, he might have added that the gift of intelligence has been squandered by humans in general.
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One thought on “NOT AS SMART AS WE THINK”
I can’t help resenting the amount of money that sports stars and hollywood stars are paid. It must surely contribute to the overwhelming greed that drives the pursuit of money and wealth, and a hideously skewed perception of value. Money is power — if you’re super-rich, your opinions matter more than those of the hard working poor. And I loathe the concept of philanthropy, in which the very rich make choices for the very poor and decide on their priorities. It’s degrading for the so-called beneficiaries and terribly bad for the generous benefactors, who cannot possibly be expected to separate self worth from their ability to rescue others. With the international agencies its often worse, and the money that the officials use isn’t even their own. I did some work in the Niger Delta to scope interventions with community members. They had no sanitation, they used the river for everything, from drinking to shitting to cleaning themselves and washing their clothes, to transport. Yet the agency decided, despite my report of our engagements, that what they needed was a sports programme. And they, scared that if they weren’t grateful enough nobody would ever offer them help again, accepted it. Money is the root.