this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] AnarchoEngineer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 35 minutes ago

On that note, humans are nature. When other animals build things like beavers building dams, or bees building hives, ants building hills, termites building thermodynamically efficient concrete (sort of) structures etc., we still call those things “natural.”

Point is: all our modern infrastructure is natural because building shit is just what our species does and we are just as much nature as any other species is.

We aren’t special; we’re just another weird species in a long history. We aren’t the only species to build stuff, aren’t the only species reshape the environment around us, aren’t the only species to literally poison the area around ourselves (and hey we mostly do it on accident whereas pine trees kinda do it on purpose). Hell, the Great Oxidation Event literally filled the whole atmosphere with what was—at the time—basically poison. That event not only caused mass extinction on a global scale, but it also changed geology and mineral formation worldwide.

We aren’t special just because our machines are often made of metal instead of proteins. We’re just another species on this rock, and everything we’ve built is just another mark on that rock made by life.

[–] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 11 points 2 hours ago
[–] DaMonsterKnees@lemmy.world 18 points 3 hours ago

That's up there with, the deer isn't crossing the road, the road is crossing the forest. Always good to embrace new perspectives.

[–] Drekaridill@lemmy.wtf 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I am actually very domesticated. Stick me in the wild and I'll die on day 1 from trying to pet something venomous.

[–] Zorcron@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I’m sure if you took a lone bee away from its hive, it wouldn’t last very long either. Doesn’t mean we aren’t still a part of nature, even if we do try and forget.

[–] InappropriateEmote@hexbear.net 5 points 2 hours ago

Well said. To add to that, as for domestication specifically, many aphids are litetally domesticated by ants. But we would never say that those aphids are not found in the wilderness.

Agriculture and domestication are practices undertaken by certain ant species and colonies. These ants use agricultural methods and are known as one of the few animal groups, along with Homo sapiens, to have achieved the level of eusociality necessary to practice agriculture. It is estimated that ants began this practice at least 50 million years ago. The domestication of plant, fungus, and animal species by ants is well documented.

[–] Cattail@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

It's like people who say "you need to be self sufficient" or "I'm self sufficient (and I don't need welfare". I always ask "do you boil your own water" obvious they say no then I have to point out that you're reliant on water company or city to clean water for you.

It makes it clear that even the things in water are out to fuck your shit up