Essay on What Sets the Human Race Apart from Other Species

What sets the human race apart from other species on Earth? The answer can be summed up in three words; cognition, language, and creativity. We have the ability to think and create. The human race communicates in a unique way. Imagination is a powerful thing. We can form mental images, and through perseverance and combining cognitive forces with others, we can make those images reality. No species can create on the scale that we can. Sure, a beaver can build a dam, and a spider its web; but on a global scale? Imagine what a world like that would be like. Conceptualizing is what we do. We have an understanding of what a spider is, and what a beaver is. We categorize them into groups by creating rules, called conceptual rules. With these†¦show more content†¦While nothing is perfect, some things come close, and yet, sometimes not. What are the odds that your intuition is accurate? Try flipping a coin. We now move onto intelligence, which is the ability to reason, create, and interact with the world around us. Some psychologists theorize that more than one aspect of intelligence exists, though general intelligence is a major contributing factor in the success of individuals in most aspects of life. How do we measure intelligence? The term used to denote measurable intelligence is psychometric intelligence. There are many tests to indicate intelligence; some are special aptitudes tests, and others, general intelligence tests. One test, called the SB5 for short, measures five aspects of intelligence; fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing, and working memory. There are variations in intelligence just as there are variations in nature. For whatever reasons, be it innately or through their environment, some people are very intelligent, while others are not. During childhood, the brain grows, both in size and ability. If there is no proper stimulus during these critical years, then the brain suffers. One of the best ways to strengthen the brain is through bilingualism. Bilingualism strengthens the brain, and deters brain decay in old age. One thing to note is that the mind and body can be disconnected when it comes to intelligence, meaning that physicalShow MoreRelatedI Can t Sleep Anymore1221 Words   |  5 Pages It all began after the Terran race of planet Earth, called humans, appeared on the Galactic stage. I was one of the many individuals who began researching them- some as a job, others out of plain curiosity. While the human species was certainly unique in culture, physiology, and ability, so was every other species. At first glance, there was nothing about them to make them stand out from the universal crowd at all. In fact, in a general sense, every single species in the galaxy was very similarRead MoreThe Sixth Extinction Reflection1065 Words   |  5 Pagesmass extinction. Nowadays, the world’s undergoing a sixth mass extinction period, with humans as the driving factor. In short, industrialization and globalization have ushered in a new epoch in Earth s history. People are significantly altering the Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and life in a way that â€Å"no other creature has ever managed.† A number of recent studies shed light on the devastating effects of human activity and the impacts of climate change on global biodiversity. Kolbert concludedRead MoreScience, Ethics, And History1074 Words   |  5 Pageshas no meaning without the other. We need theory to organize and interpret facts, even to know what we can or might observe. And we need facts to validate theories and give them substance† said famous American paleontologist, biologist, and historian Stephen J. Gould. A theory may be defined as a set of assumptions, propositions or accepted facts of an idea that is suggested or presented as possibly true, but that is not known or proven to be true. A fact on the other hand may be defined as informationRead MoreThe World Of The Planet Essay1648 Words   |  7 Pages Gondarks The Gondark are a cruel and hostile race of insect-like creatures that dedicate most of their time and energy to becoming the greatest of every race in the galaxy. These creatures are extremely intelligent and technologically advanced. The home of the Gondark is a planet by the name of Amerath. It is the only planet in the galaxy with a blood moon rotating around its gravitational fields. The planet is coveredRead MoreThe Ideas Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1288 Words   |  6 Pages​The ideas in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein endorse the concept of man’s place in nature and contradict the ideas found in On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin.   Although Frankenstein was written nearly 40 years before Darwin’s theories, the evidence of Darwinism can be found throughout the works.   In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein encompasses a strong desire to be educated in science that he would become fully enthralled in his learning.   Charles Darwin had an equalRead MoreAnimal Extinction And Its Effects On The Human Race Essay1692 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal Extinction and its Effects on the Human Race Animal extinction is a tremendous problem in our society. Every year, more and more animals are going extinct. If we don’t do something to stop it, we could see a massive animal extinction in our lifetime. Many people believe the extinction is irrelevant to human life. They are wrong. Every species in our universe is part of a web. If one specie on the web goes the whole thing slowly starts to fall apart, humans included (Bove). We live in a magnificentRead MoreHuman Enhancement Should Be Discontinued1627 Words   |  7 PagesJose Cruz ESL51 Designer Baby Throughout history science has played an important role in society to help the human species strive and achieve numerous accounts of greatness. However; in today s society science has expanded into new territories trying to achieve human perfection, by using technology to create what they think a perfect baby should be. Genetic Engineering or known to the public as designer babies is a term used to describe the use of technology to modify embryos and choose specificRead More`` Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep 1515 Words   |  7 Pagesmuch a wasteland, forcing humans to create a separate colony on Mars. The novel explores the importance of empathy in an increasingly technological world where humans struggle for relevance. In the spirit of Phillip K. Dick’s questioning of reality and identity, it only makes sense to state that the Androids symbolize and mimic human capacity for empathy; therefore, worthy of living. Yet, ironically, this does not hold to be true, or at leas t, not to the fictional human race in this novel. In fact,Read More Mark Twains The Damned Human Race Essay examples699 Words   |  3 PagesMark Twains The Damned Human Race Within his essay of The Damned Human Race, author Mark Twain powerfully declares that the human race is both flawed and corrupt, and that people actually should be classified as lower animals rather than the formerly known higher animals. Twain does not hold claim to a Darwinian or creation standpoint, but rather draws conclusions from his own observations in performed experiments. He states that man is the cruel animal, and that we can attribute thisRead MoreThe Value Of Taking Responsibility Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pagespersisted, the worse the forest fire breakouts became, and the forests continued to degrade. Many animals were also displaced and threatened as a result of these intense fires. Eventually forestry researchers and conservationists started looking at what fires did to the various ecosystems. They found that fires actually promote the growth of healthier, stronger trees by burning the weak trees and providing more nutrients for the soil. By suppressing fires, the f orests experienced large amounts of