Timeline for Would gorillas with human-level intelligence make effective soldiers?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
15 events
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| Feb 26, 2016 at 18:19 | comment | added | emory | A quick google search suggests that the fastest human can run 28MPH. Usain Bolt could probably not maintain that speed on the battlefield or with combat gear. I don't think you are going to be able to field an army running 25MPH. | |
| Feb 26, 2016 at 2:58 | comment | added | Criggie | Nit pick - by "less effective soldiers" do you mean "less-effective soldiers" where the number is the same but the effecfiveness is reduced, or do you mean "fewer effective soldiers" where the ordinal count of effective soldiers is lower? I honestly can't pick it. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 15:44 | comment | added | enkryptor | Shooting isn't the only activity requiring proper (precise, soft) arm/hands movements, which gorilla's body aren't capable of. How do you disarm a trap, or, say, clean your gun? Fix a trivial malfunction? How do you do basic technical maintenance of a complex device allowing you to shoot using your sight? In reality, "mechanized gorilla warrior" would be more like a person with prosthetic devices, unable to take care of themselves. That the opposite of an effective soldier. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 15:31 | comment | added | T.E.D. | @enkryptor - I'd like to think a clever interface designer could come up with workarounds that would work better with the Gorilla physique (for instance sight-targeting). Their form isn't totally a minus either; being naturally shorter has its advantages in a firefight. Its possible you are right that it can't be totally mitigated though. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 15:21 | comment | added | enkryptor | Endurance and sleep aren't the only weaknesses. Human upright posture itself is way more effective for doing things with your hands - say, shooting. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 12:56 | history | edited | T.E.D. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 25, 2016 at 12:48 | comment | added | T.E.D. | @Madlozoz - I addressed this in comments on another answer. But one thing to consider here is that a herbivore can eat rice too. The US military uses high-fat "instant" meals (MREs), and there's no reason to believe an "intelligent" gorillia species couldn't find a nice fatty plant-based equivalent. However, there is indeed no getting around that they'd have twice as much body mass to maintain with food. So that's probably twice as much weight in food no matter what you do. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 12:44 | comment | added | Madlozoz | Related to sleep is food. Herbivores need to eat PLENTY and it takes much time. Thist is one of the reason humans can outrun horse: We can carry 2kg of cooked rice and eat this while walking. Gorillas can not. Plus, you may have to carry this food | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 11:36 | comment | added | T.E.D. | @hyde - I'd think they could SCUBA about as well, up until their endurance issues kick in. They'd have buoyancy issues, but that can be rectified with devices (Gorilla frogmen with water-wings!). Their naked bodies aren't as adapted to it as humans, but human frogmen wear wetsuits and all kinds of gear anyway. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 11:28 | comment | added | hyde | Swimming... how about scuba diving over distances? Rather important to special ops. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 10:35 | comment | added | T.E.D. | @slebetman - Can, and effectively do. It is a typical hunting strategy in hunter-gatherer societies to throw a couple of spears into an ungulate (eg: a zebra, horse, gazelle, giraffe, etc.) so it can't quite keep up with its herd, and then just jog after it until it drops from exhaustion. Its called persistence hunting. Humans are designed for it. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 10:06 | comment | added | slebetman | Endurance! People who've never trained for cross country marches severely underestimate human endurance. Over long distances we can outrun horses. | |
| Feb 25, 2016 at 7:30 | history | edited | T.E.D. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 25, 2016 at 7:19 | history | edited | T.E.D. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 25, 2016 at 7:06 | history | answered | T.E.D. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |