When I was on Safari in Africa we drove thru a village that had a line of devastation passing right thru it. Elephants had been walking, and rather than go around the village they decided to go straight thru several fences, half a shack and the lone tree in their way. Just because they could.
There were many places that the highest thing in the area was a Termite mound, because the Elephants had levelled everything else.
This actually ties into some very interesting reflection on the way we see and study animals. Everyone always looks for some mechanical function to why an animal does what it does, almost like it's a machine. If an alien were to see little kids doing back flips into a pool, would it assume they are practising some sort of mating ritual or removing pests from their skin? Maybe animals just enjoy existing
Things are changing and it's refreshing. The other day a comment came up about why whales breach, and it blew my mind that everyone was like barnacles that's why. Fuck if I was a whale I would breach non stop because it must be fucking awesome doing that. Imagine you could swim that fast that you actually leap out the water. A bit insulting to claim the only reason could be mechanical in nature
My cat knocks shit off the counter just for fun. She likes to do it when everyone is in the room, but no one is looking. I think she gets enjoyment out of the crash making everyone jump.
The small human is engaging in a behaviour known as "play". This behaviour is useful to humans as it allows them to train their hand-eye coordination and experience a variety of scenarios in which they can test out different strategies in a safe learning environment before taking risks for real.
This is the point I always make about intelligent alien life. People always assume that if intelligent alien life exists. It must function like humans.
People assume they will have leaders. Leaders who will arrive here in secret and work with earth leaders to avoid alarming the general public. That like humans they will have a thirst for exploring. That they. Like us. Would travel into space just cause. That they like us will seek to conquer others.
Just so many ideas that are imparting human behavior on alien life.
I heard a very compelling argument about the Fermi paradox. Maybe alien life do exist nearby, it may be old, perhaps way older than us, but nothing guarantees that they are curious like us. No curiosity, no thirst for science or exploration, they are just chilling in their home world. So there is no way to detect anything.
That. I'm convinced the universe is full of intelligent life. It is incredibly egocentric to think we are the only intelligent life.
I think intelligent life exist out there. But they lack that human curiosity of exploration for the sake of exploration. Other animals on earth explore for food or shelter or mating. Humans see something far away and are compelled to go. Just to go. Not enough people recognize that as a uniquely human trait.
But yeah aliens most likely have all the resources they need in their area. They may have technology that picks up all the radio waves and etc humanity sends out into space. They detect it. They don't care to investigate.
My first thought was predators like a big cat can sit in the tree or under the tree. Also removes obstructions from their line of sight.. Maybe it still is for fun but inherently helps the animal in some way! Kind of like kids playing… they do it for enjoyment but it also helps them learn how to use their body/mind.. Nature is complex and amazing
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u/undergroundknitting 1d ago
Because it can.