Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

How did intelligence arise?

13 snips
May 8, 2025
Dive into the intriguing world of intelligence across species! Explore why human smarts outshine those of our animal counterparts and laugh along as the hosts muse about communicating with potential extraterrestrials. Discover the evolutionary dance between predators and prey that shapes cognitive skills and hear about the quirks of measuring intelligence in various creatures. With playful takes on serious topics, this discussion challenges our understanding of intelligence while sparking curiosity about life beyond Earth.
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INSIGHT

Brains Are Energetically Costly

  • Human level intelligence is rare partly because brains are energetically expensive to maintain.
  • Species only develop big brains if the benefits outweigh energy costs for survival and reproduction.
ANECDOTE

Clever Hans' Cleverness Trick

  • Clever Hans the horse seemed to do math but actually read subtle human cues.
  • This story shows the challenge in correctly interpreting animal intelligence.
INSIGHT

Predation Spurs Intelligence Arms Race

  • Predation drives an evolutionary arms race that can select for smarter predators and prey.
  • However, not all predators or prey evolve high intelligence; other survival adaptations exist.
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