what’s even crazier to think about is that there were likely several thousands of years where our ancestors were about as cognitively evolved as we are now, with language and society and culture, and simultaneously living alongside other now-extinct hominin species, like neanderthals and denisovans, who were likely similarly cognitively capable. makes me wonder if stories were still have from mythology about elves or dwarves or fae are cultural remnants of a time when we actually did live alongside not-quite-human sapient creatures
The Neanderthals even had music! And larger brains than sapiens, iirc. We were more brutish and savage hence won out in the end. The TV series Sense8 explores and popularizes some of what you are saying.
there not as book smart as we are but a lot def more street smart than most of us today. different generation different kind of knowledge but same hardware
For example, I think it’s the Chaco Canyon civilization that managed to perfect the math necessary to track the stars, moon, and sun, but as far as we know had no system of writing. Which means they were just memorizing that shit.
They were pretty much as smart as we are - many of them more so than many of us today.
what’s even crazier to think about is that there were likely several thousands of years where our ancestors were about as cognitively evolved as we are now, with language and society and culture, and simultaneously living alongside other now-extinct hominin species, like neanderthals and denisovans, who were likely similarly cognitively capable. makes me wonder if stories were still have from mythology about elves or dwarves or fae are cultural remnants of a time when we actually did live alongside not-quite-human sapient creatures
The Neanderthals even had music! And larger brains than sapiens, iirc. We were more brutish and savage hence won out in the end. The TV series Sense8 explores and popularizes some of what you are saying.
there not as book smart as we are but a lot def more street smart than most of us today. different generation different kind of knowledge but same hardware
Well said.
For example, I think it’s the Chaco Canyon civilization that managed to perfect the math necessary to track the stars, moon, and sun, but as far as we know had no system of writing. Which means they were just memorizing that shit.
People underestimate what the human mind is capable of when INCREDIBLY bored.