I was reading recently the book “The Sixth Extinction” by Elizabeth Kolbert, and in it she points out a big difference between our human species, and other human species that existed (i.e. Neanderthal and Denisovans). Other human species, as well other great apes (a group of which we are a part of), did not, by any evidence available, traverse beyond what was physically possible. They never crossed an ocean or a body of water. They only ventured as far as was physically possible walking.

Our human species however, was crazy enough to embark on voyages that had no certainty of success. How many failed voyages did it take before Easter Island was found? How many voyages did the early Polynesians embark on in order to populate the remote islands of the pacific? Even today anyone wanting to go off into the ocean not knowing exactly where they were going, would be judged as crazy. Imagine this in a world where the everything was a great unknown. The courage and madness that it took to do this was incredible. More importantly it is not a behavior that can be attributed to the physically stronger but more cautious Neanderthal.

It is this particular human trait that is uniquely characteristic of our species. Gorillas and chimpanzees are not known for venturing out into the unknown searching for something they cant even guarantee exists.

Once humans began to classify, name and verbalize the environment around them, the next step, was to ‘conquer’ it…whatever that was for them. Crossing a stream, a river, a mountain range, an ocean! Into the unknown. It is madness! It is this madness, that makes us human, and has allowed us to succeed…and, ironically, what brings us closer to catastrophe.