Is Imagination one of the most important aspects of the way humans have developed such high understanding and knowledge of the universe and the world around us?

I think motive is a greater factor for technological advancement than imagination itself ever has been.

Um… what are you talking about? What kind of hellish world do you want? A place where everything is confusing and different and nasty? Or a nice orderly place, where everything is the same, and everyone knows where everything is, and there is no crime or discord or any of that nasty imagination stuff.

God! People like this make me nearly ill!
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Ok folks. That was satire if you were not imaginative enough to get it!

You plagiarizer! J/K. :)

We would probably be little beetles on the forest floor. Or maybe bacteria. The depth of humanity’s mental perceptions and the way humanity builds off of these perceptions is two key factors that distinguish us from animals. Of course there are very intelligent animals such as dolphins, but this creatures don’t build skyscrapers or write literature. Without imagination and inspired development, the world would still be the basic rock and leaf model.

But you need imagination in order to have make technological advancments surely?

How do you direct a question at a specific person by the way?

@Symbeline But before motivation must come the idea. And where to ideas for new things come from? Imagination. :)

Sure, the Apple was greatly cultivated to produce and the ipod. But someone had to create and design the first model from scratch.

@Barb Type an at sign in the response edit box. Then, at the bottom left, a list of user’s names will appear. Select the one you want and then click answer. That user’s name you selected will appear like “Barb” at the beginning of this paragraph.

How do you know dogs or dolphins don’t have an imagination?

They probably do but they have not been able to use it with the same intellect in order to build civilizations.

@Violet Imagination is the starting point. Humans take that starting point and create from it. Dolphins and dogs (to what we know so far) don’t design and develop from their imaginations. Besides, I never said they didn’t. :)

Well then, what about all the animals that build their homes? Like birds

Nests (and other such structures) are necessary for that animal’s survival. It’s also in their instinct to build those things. We don’t see animals building things that are non-instinctual or unnecessary for their survival. We don’t see animals inventing and competing with the human race to develop [insert favorite, non-existent invention name here] first.

Humanity, however, creates much that is not essential for survival, like computers, hip-hop and paper.

I think you’re giving too little credit to animals, and too much credit to humans.

Noone is saying anyway that we are somehow more important than the rest of nature because we are a more advanced species. We are part of nature in all its wander.

@Violet Support that?

I acknowledge they’re intelligence. I also point out the fact that monkeys aren’t building ipods. Animals are amazing in their sheer variety and adaptions, but we don’t have proof of any new “advancing technology” in the animal world. We see plenty of amazing survival skills, but no “finer things of life.”

@Barbs. No species are more important than the other, but that does not mean all are equal in intelligence and creativity.

I agree.

the original question and detail was all about humans and imagination.. not about technology.

Arent they all linked? Humans, imagination, technology.

Edit to my Symbeline commet:

@Symbeline But before motivation must come the idea. And where to ideas for new things come from? Imagination. :)

Sure, the Apple was greatly cultivated motivated to produce and the ipod. But someone had to create and design the first model from scratch, in the beginning.

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@Violet A quote from the question description: “We would have no inventions, no ideas…” That was my loophole. Also, I mentioned technology to defend my “The depth of humanity’s mental perceptions and the way humanity builds off of these perceptions” point from my first response.

Also, your first response on this thread was this: “How do you know dogs or dolphins don’t have an imagination?” Which, according to the limits of your latest response, is off topic from the original question.

By the way, you are becoming distracted from the challenge your originally put to me. :)

BTW, I’m not trying to personally accost you…I’m just not sure what direction this is going in.

@Spinel hu?? you said: “Also, your first response on this threat was this: “How do you know dogs or dolphins don’t have an imagination?” Which, according to the limits of your latest response, is off topic from the original question.” and my latest response was “the original question and detail was all about humans and imagination.. not about technology.”? and my first comment was “How do you know dogs or dolphins don’t have an imagination?”.. I think I stayed pretty on topic. Oh, and what was this “original challenge”?

@Spinel Ideas come when necessity must be met. Imagination is secondary into development in that respect.

Blimey I think I have created an interesting debate here! I wonder where the idea came from?

I am also not trying to personally “accost” you.. which I now have to google! : )

@Symbeline—What about ideas that are not necessity? All we need to survive is food, water and shelter. Ipods, novels etc (which all started out as ideas) are not essential, and yet here they are…

@Violet. lol! :)

let me try to explain in a clearer fashion. If we are to interpret your off topic comment in the strictest sense, then the debatable presence of an imagination in dolphins and dogs would be off the the topic of human imagination. Call it a petty rebuttal to your second to last comment.

“The original challenge (as I interpreted) was the first question of “How do you know dogs or dolphins don’t have an imagination?”

@Spinel ah, ok. I feel as though asking about other animals and imagination is on topic because the original question seemed to assume that only humans have an imagination. I think dogs have imaginations.

I should have said human imagination. Sorry!

First, curiosity, then motivation, then imagination.

Necessity is the mother of invention…imagination is the spit and polish that makes it all happen.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.—Albert Einstein

Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.—Terry Pratchett

The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.—Arthur C. Clarke

To answer your question @Barbs: Yes.