Ahhh a twitter thread to enjoy, scroll though images and descriptions of animals listed from ones most unlike humans (sponges) to the ones most like humans (chimpanzees)
A hierarchy of alienness: Pictures of animals from least to most related to you.
Least-related animal: Sponges. You and sponges are both animals. That's basically all you've got in common. pic.twitter.com/DRaRJTYGaL
— ????????????? (@parasociality) August 14, 2022
Pick one at the extremes or somewhere in the middle. Pretend you meet up at a social event and want to engage more. What is a good opening line? Hmmm, let’s try reptiles/birds/maybe snakes, “You and reptiles and birds are all amniotes: animals whose embryos are suspended in fluid-filled sacs.”
You and the platypus are both mammals: animals whose mothers feed their young milk. pic.twitter.com/QDL7sevaKr
— ????????????? (@parasociality) August 14, 2022
What can you open with to talk about the virtues of being an amniotes?
“Hey, nice to meet you. Can we imagine how we’d get to this phase of life where it not for our embryos having been suspended in fluid sacs? Whew”
Okay maybe this shows how bad I am at social chit chat– can you do better?
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