

Without technology, you'd be dead in days - techdog
http://www.howtoflyahorse.com/without-technology-youd-be-dead-in-days/

======
11thEarlOfMar
The assimilation, via evolution, of tools as an extension of our physiology is
pretty easy to contemplate and understand. Not so straightforward is the
evolution of emotions. I believe that love, anger, awe, longing, etc. are not
learned emotional responses. They are also passed via DNA and therefore,
evolved attributes. If one accepts that our emotions are evolved and that, for
us, evolution has been suspended by our use of technology (basically since
adoption of agriculture), then our emotional response patterns are the same as
our prehistoric ancestors. But the inputs that drive those response patterns
are not.

This is a weighty discontinuity, since we are not living in a prehistoric
world. Considering this discontinuity helps a great deal in understanding the,
many times, illogical behaviors of myself and others. Take the affinity for
team sports, for example. It is a huge business, but why? I've spent many
Sunday afternoons screaming at the TV as the quarterback throws yet another
interception. Why do I get so worked up? Why do I react so much like I am
participating in the team's successes and failures?

My theory is that, emotionally, being part of a team of people that
accomplishes tasks that individuals could not accomplish is key to my
survival. With a team, I can take down a mastodon, kill a marauding saber
tooth tiger, fight off enemy clans. Alone I'd have little chance. So evolution
selected for teaming behaviors by using emotions to provide both the reward
(elation when the team succeeds) and punishment (despair when it fails).
Couple that with the need to belong to a group of people (loneliness if I
don't), and you have 'fanatics' or 'fans'.

There are many such thought experiments. So when I get some free time (ha, ha)
I want to take a course in evolutionary psychology:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology)

------
JoeAltmaier
I believe the examples of animal tool-using are instinctual, not planned. So
yes they use tools, and I guess the sea snail that sticks rocks to its shell
is using 'tools' as well. But there's something qualitatively different in
honing your tool and inventing new tools. Like we do.

