this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 56 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

Would aliens actually be weirded out by this quality of humans?

I feel like any sufficiently intelligent species living on a planet will have some degree of biodiversity on said planet. And the chances of something being made to be a poison/deterrent for creatures other than the intelligent species is probably a large one, because it's pretty hard for plants and animals to make a poison/deterrent that kills everything without also killing itself. So if there is a gap for itself, there is a gap for other life to coexist with the toxin. And that's before accounting for the fact that something can be safe at low levels, provide benefits/stimulation/good feels at low levels, and toxic at high levels.

So I'd think it would be pretty natural for intelligent life to consume things that are harmful to huge swaths of other creatures.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Works best with the Earth-is-a-deathworld trope

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 days ago (4 children)

It is kinda weird that humans are so resilient to so many things though. It's part of being scavenging omnivores, but alients with a more specialized diet might be weirded out.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dogs can eat rotting meat and lick unwashed balls and ass but die from fucking grapes. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Humans can fuck grapes with impunity

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I.... I don't think I can.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Seems like a skill issue to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

nothing worse than getting a grape seed stuck in your peehole...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Sounds painful. Like gallstones, but backwards. On the plus side, probably less scratchy. On the minus side, maybe more citric acid.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dude, I don't mean to boast, but honestly, I think my dick is just WAY too big. Like, I would DESTROY that grape instantly if I tried. It's not just a trick of the camera angle, it just is that big. Honestly, I don't even need to get out a measuring tape to tell you that even with a massive grape, it's just not going to fit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You're not being creative enough. You could have a bowl/cup of grapes, and use that. Or maybe alternatively you could blend/mash them up, let them dry out a bit to stiffen up, then use that.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I just can't see it ever happening.

I don't mean any disrespect, and I don't want to kink shame, but that kinda thing is just not my bag, baby.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

C'mon David. They want you to. Do it for them, buddy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

The grapes? I can never tell when a grape wants some action. My whole life, I've missed every single signal. Well, that, or the grapes just don't find me attractive, like, EVER.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Potentially. But think of it this way, there are somewhere around 400,000 plant species out there.

https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/many-plants-world-scientists-may-now-answer/

Based on this list, something on the order of like 99.5% of plants are either not safe, or not useful/beneficial. If other species on our planet share a similar rate without complete overlap, then it's practically a guarantee that there will be thousands of plants that are safe and useful for us but not for other species. That doesn't feel particularly strange or unlikely. So even with a specialized diet, I don't think the numbers would be much different.

It also could be the case that being scavenging omnivores is a strong precursor to becoming intelligent. If your species is on the rise in terms of intelligence, you're probably using that to expand your food sources wide and far.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

For mammals we are, sure, but there's loads of things that'd kill humans that other animals chow down on perfectly happily, especially when it comes to microorganisms, mushrooms and the rotting things they're often found in/around

I don't think scavenging is right also given that humans used to mainly pick fresh fruits and persistence hunt, both of which are very fresh food which is not overlooked or left by others... Given the fact we picked fresh fruits and hunted for fresh meat, being resistant to berry and fruit based poisons was more important than microorganism based ones, so it makes a lot of sense that so many of the non-intoxicating poisons we like are from fruits and berries

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Scavenging carcasses and chasing predators away from a kill is definitely a behavior we had in the past. Particularly during droughts and famines, scavenging would be an important food source on the Saharan scrubland. IIRC, this would've been before persistence hunting was a thing, back in the H.erectus days, maybe even as far back as some Australopiths.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

We would also scavenge fallen fruits and berries that were at least partially decayed. It's most likely how we discovered the intoxicating effects of alcohol.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I know it's just a typo, but the image "alients" conjured in my head is pretty funny. I have less than zero artistic talent or I'd share it with you all. Hopefully the mental image is enough.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I evolutionary terms being edible to humans is quite useful.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Chickens are the most numerous bird on the planet, wheat covers more land area than any other plant.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Doubtful. Look what will happen with our bred plants and animals, if humans aren't around anymore.

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[–] [email protected] 58 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Tbf, this has proven to be extremely effective: Just think of how many tobacco or chili plants are grown today! Domestication really is a two-way-street

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

Are we farming the plants or are the plants farming us.

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Basically humans will have sex with you, eat you, or make you a pet.

Sometimes more than one.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 days ago

Don't forget we wear them also...

[–] [email protected] 48 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Sometimes, when a fruit or seed isn't toxic enough for our taste, we make it liquid then make it ferment or age until some of its sugar turns into the deliciously neurotoxic ethanol.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago

“Hmm tastes good but could taste a bit closer to death.”

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

TBF, life's objective is to reproduce and keep its genetic materials continuing on. Even if humans propagate and consume said plant because they find it desirable, that is still a success for the plant. So even if it has toxic caffeine or fiery capsaicin to deter some pests and humans find it enjoyable, the plant wins.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago

Especially since many of the plants die after 1 year anyway so it's not even like we shorten their lives anyway.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Is they plant that's made into cocaine in this same category?

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

They just want to propagate. The best chance a plant has to do that is by being tasty or useful to humans so we cultivate them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Colorado River toad: ₍𝄐 ̫͡ 𝄐₎

Humanity: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

Caffeine is poisonous to us too, so I think it's more accurate to say that humans enjoy the side effects of that particular neurotoxin. It's generally not possible for someone healthy to drink enough coffee to die, but they sell pure caffeine (for research) and even seemingly small amounts of that will kill a person.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

She looks so familiar, who is this? Is this from Veep?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Julia-Louis Dreyfuss.

  • Elaine from Seinfeld
  • Veep
  • Some character in the MCU
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