Would we cooperate or fight?
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00:00 (snoring)
00:03 King of the jungle?
00:04 (snoring)
00:05 Maybe.
00:06 King of the world?
00:08 "I'm the king of the world!"
00:11 That's us.
00:13 But what if we weren't the dominant species on this planet?
00:17 What if we had to compete
00:19 with every other species on Earth?
00:22 Even Mr. Cuddles?
00:26 This is WHAT IF,
00:28 and here's what would happen
00:29 if all animals were as smart as humans.
00:34 We're outnumbered,
00:36 we're surrounded,
00:38 and our bargaining position is not very good.
00:43 After all, humans and animals
00:45 don't have the sunniest history.
00:47 Every day, nearly 3 billion animals
00:50 are processed for human consumption.
00:53 And more than 100 million animals
00:55 are used in clinical
00:56 and commercial product tests every year.
01:00 In the 850 zoos across the world,
01:02 there are said to be 15,000 different species
01:05 held in captivity.
01:07 And for the animals that are free,
01:10 development and ecological damage,
01:13 not to mention poaching,
01:14 pose a constant threat to their survival.
01:17 For thousands of years,
01:19 it's been a pitched battle.
01:21 Now it's an even playing field.
01:23 Animals are as smart as humans.
01:26 Monkey see,
01:27 monkey do.
01:31 Even with the way things are today,
01:33 the wild world is a dangerous one.
01:36 Elephants can squash you,
01:38 mosquitoes spread malaria,
01:40 and even some snails carry parasites
01:42 that infect 20,000 people per year.
01:45 But would equal intelligence
01:46 amongst the world's species
01:48 lead to an all-out war between man and beast?
01:52 If so, primates are our biggest threat.
01:56 Chimpanzees share 99% of our DNA.
02:00 But they're stronger than us,
02:02 they're smart enough to learn how to use a computer,
02:05 and with their opposable thumbs,
02:07 they can pull a trigger.
02:09 Humans would still have the advantage, however,
02:11 since we've had centuries
02:13 to learn and improve our technology,
02:15 while chimps would struggle to adapt.
02:18 And in the meantime,
02:19 we might also have our hands full
02:21 just fighting off large predators,
02:23 like lions, and tigers,
02:26 and rhinos, and bears.
02:28 Of course, this is all just the worst-case scenario.
02:32 Realistically, animals would continue to act
02:34 as they do today.
02:36 They'd still hunt or forage for food,
02:38 and seek safe shelter.
02:40 They'd just be a lot better at it.
02:42 Large predators might be more cunning,
02:45 while herbivores or grazers
02:47 might get better at hiding,
02:48 or at least avoiding large open fields.
02:52 As for our chimp problem,
02:54 it might not be a problem at all.
02:56 Studies show that primates have emotions,
02:59 and are capable of empathy.
03:01 We may end up bonding with them,
03:03 and coexisting as companions.
03:06 So far, we've focused on the big and obvious threats,
03:10 but it's the ones we can't see
03:12 that are likely to cause the most trouble.
03:15 Bacteria.
03:17 These microorganisms outnumber the cells in our bodies 10 to 1.
03:22 And since overusing antibiotics
03:24 has only made bacteria more resistant,
03:27 just imagine the damage they could do
03:29 if they were as smart as us.
03:31 Now, it's true that there's also good bacteria,
03:34 but even so,
03:35 do you really want your body to be a constant war zone
03:38 between thousands of microscopic geniuses?
03:42 Fortunately, a man-beast evolutionary smackdown
03:46 just isn't going to happen.
03:48 But let's not take our dominance for granted.
03:51 We all share the same planet,
03:53 and being the smartest makes it our duty
03:56 to protect the Earth and all forms of life.
04:00 What would we do without animals?
04:02 Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.
04:06 ♪ ♪
04:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]