So Long & Thanks for All The Fish - Dolphins spied using tools

[Tenspace]

This is really interesting:

Dolphins Use Sponges As Tools (http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/06/06/dolphin.learning.ap/index.html)

[Acromnion]

hahahaha... females ARE smarter than males, and males just go round chaing the intelegent ones. i like that.

[Philboid Studge]

We can outsmart those dolphins. Don't forget -- we invented computers, leg warmers, bendy straws, peel-and-eat shrimp, the glory hole, AND the pudding cup.

[NihilistThug]

Bleh, extended phenotype. Dolphins don't recognize the utility of the division of labour via exchange, plus they don't have fine manipulators. Sad porpoises.

[Little Earth Stamper]

But if we ever build them thumb-equiped robot exoskeletons, then they could rule the world. It's a danger we must be ever-vigilant against.b

[lee]

Discovery channel had a show about dolphins murdering their fellow dolphins, they literally gang up on a single target and brutally bludgeon it to death. The justification being that the young victims belong to potential male rivals.

What is alarming is that they not only do this to fellow dolphins but to porpoises as well, since porpoises are a different species altogether from dolphins, it made no sense that they would kill them. The only conclusion the investigators could come up was that they were using the porpoises as target practice, so that when the time comes to kill a rival's offspring, they'd be pretty good at it.

[Tenspace]

But if we ever build them thumb-equiped robot exoskeletons, then they could rule the world. It's a danger we must be ever-vigilant against.b
Just make sure the dolphins don't discover this:

http://ravingatheist.com/forum/img/uploads/opthumb.jpg

:D

[Rhinoqulous]

I remember an Onion from a few years back with the headline, ""Dolphins Develop Opposable Thumbs. Oh Shit, says Humanity."

Rhinoq