“Humans are unusual animals by any stretch of the imagination. Our special abilities, from big brains to opposable thumbs, have allowed us change our world dramatically and even leave the planet. There are also odd things about us that are, well, just special in relation to the rest of the animal kingdom. So what exactly makes us so special? Some things we take completely for granted might surprise you….”
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“Humans are unquestionably unique. Unique in a way and to a scale unprecedented in Earth’s history. The question is: Are ‘unique’ and ‘special’ the same and/or equivalent? In my opinion, yes, we are both unique and special. We are unique in a number of ways – opposable thumbs, large brains, use of fire, etc. These are all ‘special’ traits, too, but what I believe makes us truly special is the scale at which we affect the planet. We are special in that, unlike any other species in existence, we can eradicate entire species’ at unprecedented scales as well as develop technology and deepen spiritually at quantum levels….”
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“HALLMARK TRAITS of the human body did not all arise anew in our species. Instead they emerged piecemeal in our forebears over millions of years. Many of these traits seem to have helped support two defining trends in our evolution: upright locomotion and tool use. See image below:…”
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