So we got all these topics about death and existential threats, let's have something more positive. Something that has actually been proven to make people happier; Make a list of the top three things you're grateful for, or just things that make you happy.

I'll start:

1. Being born a white straight human male with great parents in a developed nation with a great human rights record in the 21st century. I could have been a lot less fortunate.
2. Having access to all of the world's knowledge from my bedroom, to be able to pick whose shoulders I want to stand on out of thousands of giants.
3. Broccoli.

3 things I am grateful for,
1) My Parents
2) Religion
3) Science

I'd just like to thank my wife, my garden and all the wonderful dogs who have graced my life. Together they have made me who I am today.

My parents and their insistance for me to ask questions.

My dogs, who showed me that humans aren't that special.

Animals in general.

(November 2, 2014 at 12:41 pm)abaris Wrote: My parents and their insistance for me to ask questions.

My dogs, who showed me that humans aren't that special.

Animals in general.

Huh, my dogs keep making feel we must be really special while at the same time making me feel just a little bit inferior.

(November 2, 2014 at 12:50 pm)whateverist Wrote: Huh, my dogs keep making feel we must be really special while at the same time making me feel just a little bit inferior.

That's what I actually meant.

(November 2, 2014 at 12:50 pm)whateverist Wrote: Huh, my dogs keep making feel we must be really special while at the same time making me feel just a little bit inferior.tra

That's the beautiful thing about evolution; no species is superior to another, all species are excellent and elegant in their own niche. Although our intellect (as defined conveniently by us) might be greater, we will never have the nose of a dog, the sight of an owl or the speed of a cheetah.

(November 2, 2014 at 12:56 pm)miniboes Wrote: Although our intellect (as defined conveniently by us) might be greater, we will never have the nose of a dog, the sight of an owl or the speed of a cheetah.

Feel grateful that you didn't evolve with the nose of a dolphin, sight of a bat, and speed of a sloth.

(November 2, 2014 at 12:56 pm)miniboes Wrote: That's the beautiful thing about evolution; no species is superior to another, all species are excellent and elegant in their own niche. Although our intellect (as defined conveniently by us) might be greater, we will never have the nose of a dog, the sight of an owl or the speed of a cheetah.

And you can't judge their intelligence by our standards either. They're adapted to their environment where we wouldn't survive a single day. And they're clever. Just recently I watched a video of bears in a zoo where they had learned to point to their mouths might earn them some treat.

(November 2, 2014 at 1:00 pm)Aoi Magi Wrote:

(November 2, 2014 at 12:56 pm)miniboes Wrote: Although our intellect (as defined conveniently by us) might be greater, we will never have the nose of a dog, the sight of an owl or the speed of a cheetah.

Feel grateful that you didn't evolve with the nose of a dolphin, sight of a bat, and speed of a sloth.

If I had the nose of a dophin the ladies would never give me any rest.