[NiloCK]

The general sentiment is spot on - animals are amazing, complicated, sophisticated, and we will continue to be "humbled" over and over again, but maybe you've gone too far.

A few candidate "unique to humans" characteristics:

- surgical replacement of defective organs. I wouldn't be surprised if some animals have processes for amputations - especially insects - but I'd be pretty surprised if there are any kidney transplants going on.

- written language systems for durable information passing, phonetic alphabet systems. As far as I know, a phonetic alphabet was invented only once among humans, which makes it a rarity even for us.

- haircuts. This one is super plausibly wrong, but I don't think that any animals do this, and its a good example of something that they could do but just don't.

[Kim_Bruning]

> As far as I know, a phonetic alphabet was invented only once among humans, which makes it a rarity even for us.

A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration?

[andsoitis]

> A bit of an aside, but I'm a bit puzzeled by this statement. There are many phonetic alphabets invented through history of course. Are you saying they all have the same root or inspiration?

I think you're thinking "alphabet", which indeed, has been independently invented multiple times. The most widely used alphabet is the one derived from the Phoenician script. Other alphabets that were independently invented include the Brahmic scripts and the Hangul script.

However, the "phonetic alphabet" (also known as the NATO phonetic alphabet) was only invented once. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet#

[Tijdreiziger]

Why would it only have been invented once? Various spelling/phone alphabets are and have been in use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_alphabet

[andsoitis]

There was indeed a first invention from which others were inspired, if my history knowledge is accurate and the Wikipedia article is read carefully.

In contrast, alphabets have been invented multiple times completely independently without knowledge of the others.

[funnybeam]

Yes, all phonetic alphabets come from the same root - the Greek alphabet - it has only been invented once.

There are many other writing systems but they tend to be pictorial or syllabic.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/writing/Types-of-writing-sy...

[hoseja]

Yes, that seems to be the case.

[dwighttk]

Wear clothes

Write about history no one currently alive has seen

Make music

Go to space

Theorize

[CaptainMarvel]

Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells

Make music - I know that birds sing, and a quick Google search shows whales and seals seem to make "music" as well

Theorize - Depending on what you mean of course (but I agree with you about e.g. scientific hypotheses to be tested), but as an example apparently birds "theorize about the minds of others", again by Google search

Writing - Definitely a stretch here (and so I agree with you) but animals do leave chemical markings for others

[andsoitis]

> Wear clothes - I know that hermit crabs wear shells

You show me one outfit, I raise you an entire textile, clothing, and fashion industry allowing us to show our features in displays of status all the way to enabling us to walk in space.

[wizzwizz4]

Sounds like industry is the unique part, then, not clothing.

[burnished]

So a difference in degree then, not kind

[andsoitis]

Both degree and kind. While hermit crabs and other animals who wear garments do very little manufacturing (they use something as is or do some “minor” fashioning), the techniques and kinds of clothes we make are of a totally different sophistication. Our clothes allow us to enter ecosystems and hostile environments, for example. Our clothing is both functional and cultural. Etc.

[dwighttk]

Wear items of clothing that aren’t scavenged detritus

Compose music

[calepayson]

> Go to space

Laika does not approve of this message :)

[vinhcognito]

> Wear clothes - I've definitely seen pigeons sport around a piece of bread like a luxury jacket.

> Theorize - I always thought cats who look at a gap for a while before jumping are theorizing if/how to make the jump.

[groestl]

> Make music > Theorize

Not sure about those.

[orangepanda]

Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs?

[andsoitis]

> Were we less human when we couldnt yet replace defective organs?

Over time, humans have demonstrated a vastly more impactful ability to manipulate our environment and ourselves than any other living organism we have encountered.