@SuzanEraslan YES YES YES! That makes so much sense, them being possibly more evolved than we are. So now I'm thinking perhaps humans will eventually also evolve to have similar self-altering capabilities? It would be a complete paradigm shift.

@Talyaa It would be amazing, but I wonder if within our actual DNA is the restriction of self-change and instead imposing change upon our environments... I mean, we definitely have different geographical groups that have developed certain abilities over time based on environment, but it's more that only those who were compatible with the environment didn't die.

@Talyaa For instance, Americans of Inuit descent who have never lived in cold environments, have been found in experiments to be able to tolerate their hands submerged in ice water a few milliseconds (or seconds) longer than Americans of other ethnic descent. But for the most part, we just invent fire, clothing, and insulated housing instead of altering our DNA.

@SuzanEraslan Now I'm thinking that it's possibly part of our overall purpose as humans to enact change upon the earth. Not in a colonialism kind of way but more as coexisting with the entity that is the Earth. Interesting thought.

@Talyaa That is actually an interesting thought... There are other animals (beavers, several insect types, etc.) that seem to have the same purpose. It's interesting to think of us as simply a more complex organism that has a similar purpose in the organization of the planet. Though in an evolutionary sense, we are not the sole colonialists-- other organisms have resulted in the extinction of their neighbors, not just us.

@SuzanEraslan Very true! I see the entire planet as an interconnected organism, one with a combined and co-created purpose.