[NotSuspicious]

I wonder how this may have impacted world history. Something along the lines of humans have grain storage >> rats are attracted to grain >> cats are attracted to rats >> humans are attracted to cats >> human populations with cats become slightly more schizoaffective (which in most premodern societies is not really pathological) >> these societies commune with the divine more/tell the future/develop more complex religious institutions >> these religious institutions help stabilize society

Kinda seems like a win-win to be honest.

[enlyth]

From an evolutionary point of view I still think cats are the most successful animals. They have managed to get the ultimate apex predator (humans) to feed, care and provide shelter for them, in exchange for merely existing and looking cute.

[onlyrealcuzzo]

How is this different from dogs?

Cats were useful, so were dogs.

Now they're both mostly just for being cute.

Dogs are generally better companions, but lots of people have dog-like cats that wanna be around them 24-7.

[rtsil]

Cats also provide companionship and emotional support, and those are invaluable for humans.

Also, I wonder if it is really evolutionary if most of their current traits (physical and otherwise) were selected by humans.

Now excuse me, I must withdraw to tend to my feline masters.

[quickthrower2]

Plus cat pictures have evolved all over the internet and will affect vision systems in AI. Immortalizing the cat in the post - biological world

[mustardo]

> these religious institutions help stabilize society

I'm not sure this is true, there are plenty of conflicts because of religion. I would argue the most stable would for nobody to be religious

[DoctorMckay101]

Look up lead plumbing in the Roman Empire and the documented case of many emperors and council members being more "aggressive" than usual.

[GaryNumanVevo]

Lead plumbing pales in comparison to the lead they consumed via cooking pans (typically a lead / copper alloy) and a lot of Roman utensils used lead. Most tap water at room temperature won't absorb lead from pipes due to the mineral content and acidity. However, cooking in a pot made from lead will definitely poison you.

[huytersd]

>which in most premodern societies is not really pathological

Why? Crazy people have more often than not been severely repressed in former societies.

[doublemint2203]

Somebody read Snow Crash.... ?

[adrianN]

The ideas in Snow Crash probably come in part from the bicameral mind theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Origin_of_Consciousness_in...

[ta988]

This Snow Crash thing, is it a virus, a drug or a religion?

[cm2012]

There's essentially no evidence for this.