this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] superkret@feddit.org 162 points 1 day ago (5 children)

We evolved in the Savannah.
Rain means the watering holes are filling up, which is obviously good cause we need water, but it also attracts prey animals.

[–] DaCrazyJamez@sh.itjust.works 72 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This, of course, was summarized most eloquently at the zenith of human evoloution: the 1982 hit single by Toto clearly stating, "I bless the rains down in Africa."

[–] NeatoBuilds@mander.xyz 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Oh wow all this time I thought they missed the rains of Africa

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

"I guess the rain is down in Africa" for me.

[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago

Some of those rains went unblessed because someone missed them.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 39 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You think rain is your ally?

You merely adopted the damp. We Brits were born in it, molded by it. I didn't see dry sand until I was already a man...

[–] flicker@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Deebster@programming.dev 8 points 1 day ago

Their spelling was moulded by the US

Run! He's a mossman!

[–] MBM@lemmings.world 2 points 1 day ago

You'd think more African animals (especially predators) would have that ability, then

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm still missing something here. For it to be useful, I'd imagine that it would need to inform decisions, and do so where existing senses would fail.

At least in my environment, if I can smell rain, I could also just as easily use my eyes to see the cumulonimbus clouds and say "rain, due east".

In the savanna are there scenarios where the only awareness of rain would be smelling it? Can you derive directionality at 5 parts per trillion? Does it matter?

[–] erev@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

you can smell it coming before you see it imo. that gives you time to get to shelter and to move to where the water/food is

[–] EleventhHour@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Was that area a desert 250,000 years ago?

[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The whole continent of Africa (as every other continent) went through several major climate changes, small and big. Pretty sure there were at least five major turnovers from wet to dry climate and back since then, and numerous before.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Fun fact, there are some theories that the Sahara desert was actually caused by over foraging from early goat herding.

So to a degree our ancestors may have already caused some climate change.

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Your ape's first anthropogenic climate disaster.

[–] skittle07crusher@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Republicans and climate science deniers’ favorite fun fact

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] skittle07crusher@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Like when they say “cLiMaTe ChAnGe Is NoThInG NeW” and try to tell you “the climate has been changing for thousands of years”

[–] Silic0n_Alph4@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

But it’s true! This is how GOD made the Earth! And if we burn enough fossil fuels we can get back to that garden of Eden, just as HE wants!!

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh... Dang, I have never heard a climate denier even know about early farming practices in northern Africa to pull that one out and usually I get:

there is no way something as simple as a person or animal could have an impact on something as big as climate!

Wild. I didn't realize they were changing the cope, I guess I got to catch up on the patch notes.

I think they’re better at networking than the left. The moment there’s the slightest, most microscopically plausible counterpoint to something, it seems like they’re all bellowing it as if it’s the most obvious, incontrovertible thing on earth.

Then again I’m American where we seem to be especially in the dark on climate science.

The North African region was a lush verdant region 11,000 years ago, which is not so long ago considering humans already spread far and wide around that time.