# How would humanity react if there were suddenly another "intelligent" species? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467 "2004-12-31T19:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/1 "2004-12-31T19:37:39Z")
By which I mean, a non-alien, already existing species. Far reaching premise, of course, but say all the lowland gorillas were actually hiding the fact that they’re nearly as intelligent as us? What if they finally decided to unmask and reveal that they knew how to use fire, to invent new things, could speak a basic (and interpretable) language; basically, operate on the same level as our early ancestors. How would the world react to that? My gut instinct is that we’d feel seriously threatened. Would we allow them to act on their newly revealed abilities? If a group of silverbacks approached the UN and began speaking about their terms for peaceful coexistence, would we hear them out? Or would we round them up into cages and start studying them out of existence? Would we be capable of acknowledging that we’re not the only ones? Would we ever be able to greet some other intelligent species as equal to us? Or would the mindset be “We were here first, so sorry it took you a little longer to get to our level”? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/2 "2004-12-31T19:39:50Z")
Wow, good question. 🙂 Human nature being what it is, I wouldn’t be too optimistic about the outcome at first–but in time I think we _might_ reconcile to the fact of another species as intelligent as us. Possibily. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/3 "2004-12-31T19:45:26Z")
Thanks 🙂 I just noticed how many questions were in that OP. Reads a little odd… Oh well 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/4 "2004-12-31T19:46:56Z")
Hey, no worries, it’s a good question. 😉 Although, it would depend on the species. I mean, if they were physically stronger than us–a lioness, which could, given the intelligence of a human being, turn on its captors, versus a tiny kitten. It really does come down to instinct, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/5 "2004-12-31T19:50:23Z")
At best, I am assuming an apartheid system would manifest itself. More likely than that, they wouldn’t be allowed to integrate with our society at all and we’d treat them as curiosities. And most likely of all, genocide. I’d love to see the conservative religious communities reactions though. That would be fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/6 "2004-12-31T19:52:00Z")
One of the biggest causes for war in history is land. If the “other intellegint” species was a land animal, it might cause problems due to not having enough land to go around. Now, if we found out that Dolphins where really as intellegent as us, since they live in the ocean, I think we could learn to co-exist. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/7 "2004-12-31T20:11:08Z")
> [@Hirka T'Bawa](#): > > One of the biggest causes for war in history is land. If the “other intellegint” species was a land animal, it might cause problems due to not having enough land to go around. Now, if we found out that Dolphins where really as intellegent as us, since they live in the ocean, I think we could learn to co-exist. However, we also have a vested interest in being able to do with the oceans what we want or need to do. It would certainly change a lot of things if we suddenly had to get the permission of the dolphins before using their waters for military or trade endeavors, and we’d have an entirely new group to answer to when there’s a major oil spill somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/8 "2004-12-31T20:21:02Z")
Maybe have secks with them? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/9 "2004-12-31T20:43:02Z")
How about a similar (weirder?) idea than the OP. What if Neanderthal Man had survived? There is a cave somewhere in Spain where bones of both Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens cavemen have been found. It is not clear if the bones date from the same era, --but it is possible that these 2 species of humans met each other. Now, we H.Sapiens are smarter, but them ol’ Neanderthals were bigger, stronger, and better suited to survive cold weather.Even if the 2 species fought each other for food, there is no reason why Neanderthals had to go extinct.The planet is a big place for stone age men with no internet access–the Neanderthals could have occupied colder areas, while Homo Sapiens took over the rest. Now how would our lives be different today, if there was a race of semi-human Neanderthals , with brains smart enough to work for us, but too small to reason like us? We keep pets(for fun), we keep horses(for hard work), we keep trained dogs(for semi-skilled jobs, like leading the blind).Would we keep Neanderthals,too? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/10 "2004-12-31T20:46:36Z")
Harry Turtledove’s _A Different Flesh_ explores that premise, **chappachula**. If it honestly interests you, your local library should have a copy. It’s not a great book but it’s not bad either. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/11 "2004-12-31T21:33:55Z")
I, for one, would welcome our new \_\_\_\_\_ overlords. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/12 "2004-12-31T21:41:19Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I, for one, would welcome our new \_\_\_\_\_ overlords. Ya know, you’d think I would have seen that coming… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/13 "2004-12-31T21:44:10Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I, for one, would welcome our new \_\_\_\_\_ overlords. _For too long have we sat under the thumb of mankind! Now is the time to OPPOSE that thumb!_ ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/14 "2005-01-01T03:19:55Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I’d love to see the conservative religious communities reactions though. That would be fantastic. They’d demonize it, of course. Where’s the surprise in that? If homosexuals (who are of the same species and, ostensibly, part of God’s children) can’t get a break, what are the odds that a totally _different_ species will get better treatment? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/15 "2005-01-01T03:21:34Z")
It’d be war. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/16 "2005-01-01T04:04:15Z")
As a plot for a science-fiction novel I once considered writing, what if researchers discovered that elephants are sentient? Someone decodes their sub-sonic rumblings (little noticed until recently) and discover that they in fact have a sophisticated language capable of expressing abstract concepts. What would happen? Probably not a lot. Extending human government or law to elephants would be useless or silly in most cases. At most they’d be regarded like wild tribespeoples- and how well are human indigenous peoples treated? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/17 "2005-01-01T07:31:31Z")
Heh. Reminds me of this quote from Terry Pratchett’s **Pyramids:** > [@](#): > > The fact is that camels are far more intelligent than dolphins. They are so much brighter that they soon realised that the most prudent thing any intelligent animal can do, if it would prefer its descendants not to spend a lot of time on a slab with electrodes clamped to their brains or sticking mines on the bottom of ships or being patronised rigid by zoologists, is to make bloody certain humans don’t find out about it. ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/18 "2005-01-01T08:21:51Z")
I think it would depend on how different they were. If they looked human and “not ugly” like a cute monkey we’d probably be slightly more tolerant towards them than if they were, say, a hagfish. My guess is that at best we’d simply go to war with them until they were rounded up into internment camps to be studied and gawked at. If they were strong or something of that sort we’d most likely end up using them as labor though we’d make up some pretty-sounding name and reasons since it would sound bad calling it slavery. More likely, because of the fundamental change it’d be to almost every current notion we have of creation, we’d slaughter the entire species and then kill off any other species that are similar in looks/actions or showed signs of sentience. Only way we’d ever welcome them with a smile is if they were more powerful than us (IE: The gorillas show they can shoot lasers from their eyes that can blow up mountains) and we needed time to think up a strategy of how to efficiently kill them off and keep humankind at the top of the food chain. This: > [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Maybe have secks with them? 😉 would probably happen a lot too. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/19 "2005-01-01T08:46:10Z")
> [@](#): > > If they looked human and “not ugly” like a cute monkey we’d probably be slightly more tolerant towards them than if they were, say, a hagfish. That’s why, to answer another poster, if Neandertals were re-discovered, I would bet money that American courts at least would recognize that they have rights equal that of humans. Their reasoning would go thusly: Neandertals must be given the same rights as humans because 1. Their mental capacity is great 2. They can communicate cogently with us 3. Look at them: they’re obviously humans! Not the most logical argument, but the law isn’t always logical. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467/20 "2005-01-01T10:47:02Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > That’s why, to answer another poster, if Neandertals were re-discovered, I would bet money that American courts at least would recognize that they have rights equal that of humans. I bet that would take a few generations… how long did it take for women, blacks, etc…? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-humanity-react-if-there-were-suddenly-another-intelligent-species/282467.md?page=2)