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In the 1960s, a mad scientist performed experiments in a secret government program to discover the key to human intelligence. He ran these experiments in a controlled environment using living sharks of various species. Unfortunately he overestimated the safety protocols and his arrogance came back to bite him (literally). The experiments made the sharks far more intelligent and deadly, giving them an awareness bordering on sentience. It also gave them a particular hatred for humans. An accident engineered by the sharks allowed them to escape into the wild and breed.

These sharks have the same capabilities of regular sharks, but are faster, stronger, and smarter. They have a high IQ of 130, making them smarter than 95% of the shark population, and have developed problem solving and logical reasoning skills. They have a bite force of 3.1 tons and can reach speeds of 60 mph. Over time, they became more numerous than regular sharks, who they actively hunt to extinction to eliminate conpetition. These smart sharks are also far more aggressive, and like to eat and hunt humans for sport.

Marine ecosystems are essential for the overall health of both marine and terrestrial environments. How would these genetically engineered sharks affect the balance? And can humans ever be safe in the water with these sharks out there?

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    $\begingroup$ Over what timespan? I'm sure you are aware that sharks have been around for some time and marine life doesn't change that quickly. Having potential isn't the same as having the ability to do something. I'm 99% sure you are also aware that humans have been around for some time but only recently came up with the atom bomb. Things take time $\endgroup$
    – Raditz_35
    Commented Aug 18, 2018 at 13:21
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    $\begingroup$ Is the “IQ 130” quotient calculated relative to humans or relative to sharks? I.e. are they smarter than 95% of the human population or 95% of the shark population? $\endgroup$
    – Dubukay
    Commented Aug 18, 2018 at 17:19
  • $\begingroup$ @L.Dutch all of that assumes that sharks aren't already PERFECTLY adapted to their environment. I can't think of ANYTHING you could do to a shark that wouldn't make it a LESS effective predator, except make them MORE shark-y. Somehow. $\endgroup$
    – Morris The Cat
    Commented Aug 19, 2018 at 1:21
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    $\begingroup$ Sounds like orcas to me. $\endgroup$
    – Cort Ammon
    Commented Aug 19, 2018 at 3:36

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I thought about this one for a while and I guess my answer is that being smarter would ONLY benefit sharks to the extent that it would make humans and sharks much, MUCH less likely to come into contact.

Shark encounters with humans generally occur either because we went looking for them, or because we're hanging out where sharks like to look for food. Now, a real shark isn't going to see much difference between a seal or a dolphin or a human or a tuna, it's all just food.

A SMART shark, however, is going to recognize that messing with humans is a losing proposition, because no matter how big or smart your shark is, it's still a shark and it doesn't have access to things like steel and carbon-fiber and high explosives and sharks just aren't ever going to win that fight.

So if you actually had faster, stronger, smarter sharks in the oceans, they'd be primarily distinct from their natural cousins by being much, MUCH harder for humans to even find. If I'm a shark with a 130 IQ, I'm going to make it a point to not go anywhere there are humans in large numbers.

Now, that said, if I'm a shark with a 130 IQ and there are humans in SMALL numbers in the water that are messing with my lifestyle, those humans are just going to vanish tracelessly off the face of the planet and nobody will EVER know that a shark had anything to do with it.

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    $\begingroup$ Given this logic, how do we know there aren't already super-intelligent sharks somewhere in the ocean... lurking? $\endgroup$
    – Cadence
    Commented Aug 18, 2018 at 23:15
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    $\begingroup$ We don't, obviously. =) Who was it that said the greatest evidence that there isn't intelligent life in the universe the fact that it hasn't tried to contact us? $\endgroup$
    – Morris The Cat
    Commented Aug 19, 2018 at 1:19

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