Complexcity of human body?

Question

What makes us, as humans, so remarkable as compared to..say.. roaches? I mean, they can survive extreme radiation , take 45 minutes to drown and able to reproduce at an alarming rate. All we have is a fairly complex brain, which isn't the biggest in the world but the most 'developed'. Other than possesing the ability to form mildly complex thought pattarns and slightly more sophisticated communication, whats so special about the human race?

My intent is knowing if humans possess an ability that makes us 'special' or remarkable, other than a highly developed brain. Kinda like how worms could chage genders.

Answer 1

Our ability to not merely adapt to our environment, but to change it as well. Our ability to create. To compose music, to paint, to dance, to build. Our ability to destroy. To burn, to exploit, to war. And of course, to ask questions and answer them. ;)

Answer 2

From the phrasing of your question it seems that your intent isn't to ask, "What makes' humans so special?" but rather to make the point that humans are not special among the animals. I say this because you use phrases like "fairly complex brain, "'developed'," and "mildly complex thought patterns." So why bother posting this question at all?

You're no doubt going to get a lot of, "created in God's image," and the like. But of course, that doesn't even begin to address your point.

Humans are the dominant form of life on the planet, on the macro scale, anyway. We've mastered tool-making and agriculture, created written language and art; we've begun scientific inquiry in to the nature of the universe, and contemplated, with little success, the nature of reality and our place in it. We have a special kind of self-awareness that is unique to our species, and, forgive me for speculating, I think we're the only animal on the planet capabale of wondering the question, "why?" Why this universe, why this reality, why does the world seem so cruel and difficult, or why so beautiful?

Human life is the most valuble life on the planet, not because some god or other said so, or was said to have said so in some book, but because we're unique in our accomplishments and awareness.

Answer 3

There is nothing special , And as long as you keep looking for a reason that proves such a misconception, You will miss out on the only life you know for sure that you will have.

Answer 4

Used to be that the rule is that humans "used tools."

Yet I've seen other animals use twigs for tools too (apes/chimps).
So ... not quite sure! We do use human language, but it could be argued that other critters have their "own" language.

RapidBunnyip said quite a bit that makes sense, choose her answer as best.