Questions tagged [intelligence]
For questions discussing some level of self-awareness.
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How would quadrupedal tetrapods use complex tools and become more technologically advanced?
Would quadrupedal tetrapod species be able to utilise complex tools to develop further technologically?
(Complex tools meaning purposefully constructed and shaped to perform a task, for example humans ...
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Pathogenic Hive-Intelligence When Critical Mass is Reached
Could there be a virus or amoeba or protist or bacteria (or fungal but that is over-used in pop culture) that infects humans (and possibly other lifeforms) that by itself is not sentient but as they ...
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How would a CIA program to investigate the truth of religion work? [closed]
I'm developing a story in which the CIA has investigated the truth of religion. In real life, during the Cold War the CIA investigated things like aliens, psychic powers, etc. That’s because if ...
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What evolutionary pressure would lead to parrots or crows developing human-tier intelligence?
Several avian species such as African grey parrots or the New Caledonian crow have demonstrated tool use, the ability to use new information in separate contexts, and other types of cognition that ...
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Does the inclusion of common non-humanoid alien species make rare humanoid alien species more believable?
In a Sci-Fi setting, if there is a vast amount of non-humanoid intelligent life in the universe, like perhaps 20 or 30 species, would this make 4 or 5 species that look similar to each other, or ...
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Must a sapient species rely entirely on language to advance? [closed]
Humans, unlike other intelligent species, have a unique reliance on our language. Is this required? Could a species, with language, realistically advance to human-level technology without having a ...
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How should I order the categories of my magic system? [closed]
In my world where intelligence is everything, the study of magic is divided into different categories. The type of intelligence you have will affect the kind of magic you use.I’ll come up with names ...
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Objectively most efficient way to increase focus?
If resistance is how long you can go doing physically exausting stuff before you die or get overtraining fever
then focus is the analogue to magic, your ability to perform magically exhausting stuff ...
user100394
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How could a really intelligent species be stopped from developing?
How could a really intelligent species be kept from developing? For clarification, this species is the only creature of intelligent thought on the planet and they have a population of about 50 million ...
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Would human intelligence evolve if humans had access to infinite food?
In a world with infinite food (each organism had access to an infinite amount of food/energy from another universe), would human intelligence develop through some evolutionary mechanism?
If resources ...
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Can a lone alien entity develop an internal language?
I'm imagining a hypothetical lone organism on a planet. Something like Avatar, the movie's Eywa. I am envisioning it as a massive organism covering the entire surface of the planet but biologically ...
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Could a species with human-like intelligence keep a biological caste system?
Evidence exists that Hymenopteran eusocial insects possess higher social and logical intelligence than most other insects (i.e. facial recognition in wasps, limited self-awareness in ants), suggesting ...
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Could a creature with dolphin-level intelligence created and raised in a lab be able to understand enough human language to follow a tv show?
I have this idea in my head of a giant creature that was made in a lab, handlers and staff found they can calm it down by turning on a tv show it likes. One day however the relationship of 2 ...
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Sapient as juveniles, monstrous as adults
I'm playing around with an idea in my head for a speculative species and I'd appreciate any help with a problem I've encountered trying to make them plausible.
Let's say I have a species of animal, X. ...
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Could you detect extrasolar intelligence using a non radio-telescope or other instrument?
The James Webb Space Telescope, after decades of development, has finally launched. It stands to reveal great knowledge about the dawn of the universe, and great insights into extrasolar planets.
With ...
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