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From: rgalek@gouldsd.UUCP (Richard G Aleksandr)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Why are Humans as Smart as They Are?
Message-ID: <568@gouldsd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Aug-87 16:37:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: gouldsd.568
Posted: Thu Aug 13 16:37:39 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 10:35:40 EDT
References: <1041@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: Gould Electronics, Landover MD.
Lines: 26
Summary: non-technical explanation

In article <1041@ttidca.TTI.COM>, jackson@ttidca.TTI.COM (Dick Jackson) writes:
> This is a question which has intrigued me for a long time, I wonder if
> anyone has any thoughts?
> 
> ........ I look a modern human, playing baseball, or playing the piano,
> or making abstruse mathematical "discoveries". It seems to me that we
> are much too mentally able than we need to be.  What was the environmental
> pressure that made us THIS smart?  And, why not smarter?
> 
> Dick Jackson

	I have a different view on this than the physiological and evolutionary
explanations given so far. First, there is no proof or strong evidence which
I am aware of which makes "smartness" totally a physiological or evolutionary
function.

	Second, it seems to me that after a rudimentary intelligence is 
developed to the point that one can start to ask questions about his/her 
environment, that this would naturally lead to curiosity in some people to 
find out more.  I disagree with your assumption that we are so much smarter 
than our ancestors; isn't it possible that we just have a lot more information,
as opposed to raw intelligence. And this information has not been garnered, 
in my opinion, in response to environmental pressure as much as simple 
curiosity.

						Richard Aleksandr