• Question: what makes us human?

    Asked by Kate to Alex, Ali, Kerry, Philip, Theo on 18 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Kerry O'Shea

      Kerry O'Shea answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      I think this is a difficult question! There aren’t a lot of definitive answers to this. Clearly, we have a lot of similarities to chimpanzees and gorillas in terms of our skeletal structure – we apparently have the same tooth pattern as apes, but we have a more rounded pelvis to support organs in a standing-up position – but this doesn’t tell us “what makes us human”. I read that our DNA blueprints are actually 99% identical to that of a chimpanzee! I think the answer probably lies in our emotional intelligence but this is a really interesting question!

    • Photo: Alison Thomson

      Alison Thomson answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Hi Kate – thanks for the question!

      I guess it depends who you ask! To me, what makes us human is our humanity, as well as the fact that anatomically we are different from everything else in the world. Also, according to the magazine Scientific American, we have long stretches of DNA sequences that are absolutely unique to humans!

      Hope that answers your question =)

      Ali

    • Photo: Alex Pool

      Alex Pool answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Wow what a philosophical question – one of the colleagues in my office immediately said “our ability to love”. But other animals are meant to do that too.

      Some could argue intelligence, or the ability to use tools – but Chimpanzees can do those. We’re the only animal to have a fully formed language, although again dolphins can communicate and chimpanzees can be taught some elements of sign language.

      I guess if we get down to the basics of what makes a species it’s the ability to mate with another human and produce offspring.

      So yeah hard question to answer!

    • Photo: Philip Ratcliffe

      Philip Ratcliffe answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Well. it all depends on what aspect of human you mean.
      If you simply the type of animal we are, then it’s all in our DNA.
      If you mean the fact that we are conscious and have something we call soul then I’d still say DNA – we don’t exactly now to what extent other animals are aware of being alive – many are certainly empathetic and feel emotions so then it just becomes a question of the degree to which we have developed.

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