Humans Are Smart. Crabs Are Dumb

Earlier this week, an “Assistant Professor of Biology” went viral after they shared a video of a crab hastily building a sand-based lodging.

“But humans are the most advanced species,” the Twitter user added, mockingly.

“(we are not: no species is more ‘advanced’ than any other. each species is uniquely adapted to its environment. This crab could judge any other species for their inability to build sand houses etc. as being ‘less advanced.’ It’s all a matter of perspective),” they added.

(we are not: no species is more ‘advanced’ than any other. each species is uniquely adapted to its environment. This crab could judge any other species for their inability to build sand houses etc. as being ‘less advanced.’ It’s all a matter of perspective)

— Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) May 16, 2021

Call me old fashioned, but I believe humans are more advanced than this crab. Or, indeed, any crab. Or, in fact, any other living thing on this planet.

Yes, it’s impressive that this crab is able to build a basic load-bearing structure with its claws in a visually-appealing circular design. But did the crab even seek permission from local authorities for construction to begin? How does the crab intend to leave? Smash his way out and then rebuild the roof every day? And don’t even get me started on the lack of indoor plumbing, presumably forcing the crab to live in its own waste.

Also, let’s debunk the argument that “this crab could judge any other species for their inability to build sand houses … as being ‘less advanced.’” A human child could build this sand castle, and much more, with little help. Introduce some rudimentary tools, and the quality and safety of the structure would vastly improve. If we were to introduce a modicum of thought into the mix, the human would build a house on a platform above sea level, improving their chances of avoiding being washed away into the ocean and immediately consumed by a sea-dwelling monster.

By any objective metric, this is actually one dumb crab.

But let’s also raise an important factor here — consciousness. Yes, it’s somewhat impressive for the crab to achieve this feat of construction, but what sparked this action? Was it a blind and robotic event fueled by genetic pre-coding? Or did that crab wake up that day, brush its claws, and decide to move?

If we’re comparing species in terms of advanced capabilities, surely the decision to develop such capabilities is the most impressive of all? After all, we can’t compare the physical flying abilities of birds and humans, but it’s clearly more impressive that humans decided to build their own flying machines, while roasting any birds that made any disparaging comments with potatoes and gravy. 

Yes, every living being in nature has evolved as a more effective version of past versions of its own species. But humans are the only ones to do so consciously, with the intention of self-development — often despite severe physical weakness.

That’s why we’re the most advanced. Because we decided to be so.

Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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