For many years, human beings have been asking whether we are alone in the universe. Here’s my own reflection: what if we start thinking about our neighborhood? Maybe we were never alone. If we accept this, we will recognize what nature has given us and understand how we can give back.
| Species | Number of Neurons | Estimated Synapses | Max. Possible Synapses | Synapses Usage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus | ~5e+08 | ~1.5e+10 | ~1.2e+17 | ~1.20e-5 |
| Dolphin | ~6e+09 | ~7.5e+10 | ~1.5e+19 | ~4.96e-7 |
| Human | ~9e+10 | ~3.0e+11 | ~3.7e+21 | ~8.11e-9 |
| Chimpanzee | ~6e+09 | ~6.5e+10 | ~2.1e+19 | ~3.08e-7 |
| Bonobo | ~6e+09 | ~6.0e+10 | ~2.1e+19 | ~2.84e-7 |
| Gorilla | ~5e+09 | ~6.0e+10 | ~1.3e+19 | ~4.62e-7 |
| Sperm Whale | ~2e+11 | ~5.5e+15 | ~2.0e+22 | ~2.75e-5 |
| Elephant | ~2.6e+11 | ~2.75e+10 | ~3.3e+22 | ~8.33e-8 |
Animals develop strategies, analyze their surroundings, and create ideas, just like we do—but in their own unique ways. If we do not start accepting this, we will eventually suffer, because we let them die without doing anything to protect them.
Is that truly what we want? To replace plants with energy plants? To replace life with machinery?