If all species had the same intelligence as humans, what would the world be like?

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

I kinda doubt they're interested in politics, they're not team players - the expression "herding cats" arose for a reason - and all that organizing, fundraising and lying-on-TV would interfere with sleeping. Why do all that work when you already got your human staff catering to your every want?

I once saw Samantha Martin, founder of a circus troupe called The Amazing Acro-cats, interviewed on TV. The reporter said something about cats not being trainable. She replied, "Any animal with a brain and a food drive can be trained."

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I once saw Samantha Martin, founder of a circus troupe called The Amazing Acro-cats, interviewed on TV. The reporter said something about cats not being trainable. She replied, "Any animal with a brain and a food drive can be trained."

IME cats can be trained to do anything htey want.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

IME cats can be trained to do anything htey want.

Or made to want to do anything the trainer wants them to do...

[The Carnivore]

Carnivore's law, adapted from Godwin's law:

As an online discussion involving animals grows longer, the probability of cats being mentioned approaches 1.

And speaking of cats, I've previously posted several times that I have no problems with eating cats. The consumption of cat meat should be legal worldwide, but many people object to this. If cats were to have human intelligence, those objections would only grow stronger.

Which brings us to the next question. If the consumption of cat meat were universally banned, why would the consumption of chickens, cows, pigs, and other animal meat remain legal if they are just as smart as humans and cats? The entire world would have to go vegan.

And when that happens, it wouldn't matter which species wins or loses, because a world where veganism is mandatory is not a world that I would want to live in.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by The Carnivore

Carnivore's law, adapted from Godwin's law:

As an online discussion involving animals grows longer, the probability of cats being mentioned approaches 1.

I know an individual that has about a 30 minute half-life to cat mention in a group setting. In 1 on 1 conversation it drops to about 3 minutes.
Typical response by the hearers of the segue that is as subtle as the turns on Lombard St.:

[The Carnivore]

Originally Posted by ixfd64

One thing for sure is that humans and cats would constantly be fighting for political power.

Form an alliance with the dogs. If we win, we'll eat cat meat instead of dog meat!

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by The Carnivore

Form an alliance with the dogs. If we win, we'll eat cat meat instead of dog meat!

The alliance with cat is roughly, from the point of view of the cat, feed me, clean up after me, buy me toys, and I won't require you to walk me in all sorts of weather, like a postman and his dog, morning and night, every day of the year. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United..._Service_creed
Besides, dogs and the veterinarian are out there.
Just don't expect me to enjoy car rides or stupid looking clothes, which is to say, anything other than my own fur. (To a cat, any other point of view is irrelevant.)

Supposedly, mountain men who dined on mountain lion claimed it was the best meat they'd ever tasted. It's not clear whether that's from an objective palate, or that they were so happy to have survived the encounter that anything would have tasted excellent.
"It doesn't taste like chicken" https://www.sfgate.com/science/artic...ot-3375930.php
Close approach on a trail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWpleN562WE