One of the recurring musings I’ve had over the years is what would life be like if near-humans had survived until modern times. By that I mean species such as Neanderthals, Java men, “cave men”, or other species sharing our genus. Unfortunately, my cynical side eventually takes over these thoughts and reminds me of how humans have treated other humans over the course of history. Still, my whimsical side imagines other alternate realities.
Maybe a world with evolutionary “robots” would have evolved, with Neanderthals taking on physical and repetitive tasks for which their mind and bodies were more suited. Homo sapiens would pick up the planning, engineering, and design aspects of society. A sort of symbiotic relationship. Not very romantic.
A little better to imagine that cavemen evolved rapidly alongside us. That we were competitive and fully aware of our differences, but existed together on the planet in separate countries or localities. I think this shows that I watched too much Star Trek : the Next Generation when I was younger. Next will be a diatribe about a prime directive.
Not really. But, what if they surpassed us, both physically and mentally. Then we became a pet race, existing in relative luxury, but spayed and neutered with our lives existing primarily to entertain.
Or, what if we intermingled after many years of separation. The mind can imagine great and terrible things, and I think of a new races that form… dwarf-like, troll-like, even elf-like that also show I played too much Dungeons and Dragons.
Ah, the magic of what-ifs!
These thoughts brought to you today by the birth of the Neanderthal Genome Project. Scientists are now working hard on limited DNA samples to decipher the entire Neanderthal genome project, in hopes to show the causes and roots of our own evolution.
And, also by that damn Geico commercial… “I think I’ve lost my appetite, thank you”
(If anyone has some good SciFi that addresses these issues, please feel free to suggest some! I’ve always loved novels and stories that address “social” SciFi… such as David Brin’s Earth and Startide Rising, and Orson Scott Card’s Ender series.)
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