Do You Ever Wish Dinosaurs Never Went Extinct?
What would our world look like if dinosaurs never went extinct and intelligent life evolved from dinosaur ancestry? (Interdimensional Talks -Episode 19)
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Ladies and gentlemen, alien or domestic, Welcome to Interdimensional Talks with your host Mike!
The only fictional radio show in the world broadcasting across the universe and the multiverse. Listen in as we talk to the most diverse bunch of guests you can possibly imagine. We’re talking aliens, ethereal beings, artificial intelligence, and even humans from parallel universes.
Suspend your disbelief, open your mind, and join us on a journey of fascinating exploration of ideas. Grab a drink and enjoy the show.
EPISODE 19:
A universe where humans live with dinosaurs in harmony
Mike: “Welcome back to International Talks. I’m your host, Mike, and today, I have an exceptional treat for you! Remember how we would dream of a world where dinosaurs never went extinct? As luck would have it, we no longer have to imagine. I found a parallel universe where dinosaurs never went extinct, that cursed asteroid missed our planet, and humanity developed parallel to building-sized reptiles roaming the Earth.
What do you think life would look like for humans if dinosaurs still ruled the Earth? Let’s find out. Please allow me to introduce our guest, Malcolm Redhorn, from Earth 76867. Malcolm, welcome to the show. I can’t tell you how excited I am to talk to you.”
Malcolm: “Thank you. It’s my pleasure. Big fan of the show. I always wanted to come on, and I can’t believe we made it happen.”
Mike: “It might seem like such things happen all the time, but the reality is that infinite universes mean infinite, and the odds of us connecting are rather slim.”
Malcolm: “It is a difficult concept to grasp, I agree. I’m glad we did.”
Mike: “I’ve given a brief introduction of your world, Malcolm, but now I invite you to describe your planet in more detail. As you know, on our Earth, and all of the ones I’ve talked to, dinosaurs went extinct roughly 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period. The prevailing theory is that a large asteroid hit the Earth and made the surface uninhabitable for such large creatures. Then mammals took over the land, and a few million years ago, our ancestry evolved to split from apes, which makes up our dominant origin story. What do your historians claim about your distant past?”
Malcolm: “First of all, I must admit that the idea that mammals are the dominant species on Earth seems impossible from my point of view. On our world, they are rather insignificant little creatures. They are cute and tasty, but that’s all they’re good for. While we have records of larger asteroid impacts, none were extinction-level events. The Earth has changed drastically through the ages but remains mostly a lush green feeding ground for dinosaurs.”
Mike: “Are there a lot of dinosaurs roaming your Earth?”
Malcolm: “Of course. It’s their world. We’re just a small civilization trying to live alongside the beast as best we can.”
Mike: “Based on our experiences, I imagine you would have exterminated the large predators or contained them in parks. That’s what we do, for the most part, anyway.”
Malcolm: “You do? Interesting. That goes against everything we believe in, Mike. We live harmoniously beside all life on our planet. We consider us all one, even if we are more intelligent than the rest. Besides, we need dinosaurs much more than they need us. They’ve been here millions of years before us. We’re still relatively new and a hell of a lot more fragile.”
Mike: “Could you tell me more about your origins? What enabled you to evolve into an intelligent species?”
Malcolm: “It is our understanding that the universe is perpetually expanding and evolving. I hate to say we’re at the pinnacle of that development since there is no way to know, but I think it’s safe to assume that all life seeks to develop into intelligence. It’s like an invisible force guiding life toward higher understanding until it finds a conduit for consciousness to evolve.”
Mike: “That is a lovely way of describing it. I like it. So, you evolved from?”
Malcolm: “We evolved, presumably, from a species of smaller but fierce and intelligent theropods, which are bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs.”
Mike: “Wait? Do you mean Raptors?”
Malcolm: “I’m afraid I don’t know that name.”
Mike: “Are they still around?”
Malcolm: “Yes. In various states of development.”
Mike: “What do you mean by that?”
Malcolm: “This species is fairly dominant in our ecosystem, but it’s immensely diverse in size, characteristics, and capabilities. It’s not a single species of dinosaur, more a family of various iterations.”
Mike: “Fascinating! So, are you saying that some semi-intelligent species of your ancestors are also running around there?”
Malcolm: “Yes.”
Mike: “Wow, it just hit me that you did not evolve from mammals, like apes, but from dinosaurs. I can’t even wrap my head around this fact. I hope you don’t mind, but could you describe yourself? You sound like humans, but that can’t be, right?”
Malcolm: “I don’t know how to answer this question. Maybe if you start by describing yourselves, we can compare.”
Mike: “Sure. We’re bipedal. Our skin is sensitive, and we have hair predominantly on the top of our heads. We have two arms with five fingers with which we manipulate tools and the like. We don’t have a tail anymore. We lost that somewhere down the line.”
Malcolm: “You don’t? How do you stand tall without a tale?”
Mike: “Am, we just do. So, do you have a tail?”
Malcolm: “Yes, of course. We also have arms and five fingers. We don’t have hair unless you count… never mind. Our skin is less resilient than any other reptile’s, as we’ve gotten a bit soft lately. Some races have more scally features. Others, especially the highlanders, have feathers or what’s left of them, anyway.”
Mike: “Oh, wow. So you are more diverse than us. We have races, but we vary primarily in skin color. Most of our differences come from societal factors.”
Malcolm: “Well, yes. That is always an important factor. For instance, we have an aquatic society, underground main civilization, desert dwellers, and the already mentioned highlanders. We all have specific features, but the thing that makes us the same species is intelligence.”
Mike: “Do you get along?”
Malcolm: “Not really. We’re a fairly aggressive species, which often results in conflict. Most are also cannibals, but that’s a whole other story.”
Mike: “I bet. Alright, so we’re similar in many aspects but also very different. I love it. I keep coming back to large carnivore dinosaurs. Large predators still hunt in your lands, yes? How do you live with them in your vicinity?”
Malcolm: “Oh, yes. We’re tinny by comparison but make up for it with intelligence and technology. Until we learned to build strong walls and underground structures, we were a popular meal for the big boys and girls. Life was not easy for my ancestors. I can tell you that!”
Mike: “I can only imagine. So, how do you protect your societies from predators now?”
Malcolm: “We’ve learned to adapt and live with them. We build most of our infrastructure beneath the Earth, so it’s safe. The structures above are heavily fortified and have layers of security deterrents like electrical barriers and physical obstacles like small entrances or deep tranches. We live in smaller communities and use natural formations to our benefit. The large land predators aren’t such a problem. The flying ones are the real nightmare!”
Mike: “Awesome. You basically live in bunkers. How do you move about? Do you build roads or wander around?”
Malcolm: “Wondering around gets you killed, Mike. We never do that except when there is no other choice. Remember, this is still their territory, and dinosaurs of all sizes are everywhere.”
Mike: “So what then? How do you move from one city to another?”
Malcolm: “We use tunnels. We’ve built a vast network of underground infrastructure with fast transit. On the surface, we like to remain high above the treeline. Out of sight, out of mouth, so to speak.”
Mike: “Ha-ha! Love it. Do you fly?”
Malcolm: “No, no! That’s just not possible. Aerial predators are ruthless, and any attempts have ended in heavy casualties.”
Mike: “How about boats? I would assume that you’d be safe on the water.”
Malcolm: “You’d be wrong. Don’t you have large predators in your waters?”
Mike: “We do, but we have big enough boats that keep us safe. The marine predators are only dangerous if we fall in the water, and you’d have to get pretty unlucky to find a shark around. We do a good job of exterminating them en mass.”
Malcolm: “You are a cruel people, Mike. You can’t just kill all living beings because you’re afraid of them. Predators are vital to the ecosystem, on land and the sea. Maybe you should start respecting them and adapting instead of just killing everything that gets in your way.”
Mike: “Unfortunately, killing everything is our way. If dinosaurs hadn’t gone extinct millions of years ago, we would almost certainly have exterminated them ourselves, apart from a few isolated places to make ourselves feel good.”
Malcolm: “I am sad to hear that.”
Mike: “It is what it is. We kill what we fear. Always have, always will. Let’s get back to our topic. Do you use any transportation at all, apart from underground trains?”
Malcolm: “Of course we do. We build them for speed and maneuverability. We sail the rivers and lakes, but oceans are for the suicidal among us. The Atlantians rule the seas, and we don’t like to deal with them if we can help it.”
Mike: “The Atlantians?”
Malcolm: “The island nation. They live on isolated islands without large predators on land, so they had an easier time developing than us. Natural habitat is all, my friend. They got lucky and enjoy sunny beaches, freedom, and safety, while we spend considerable effort just to survive. We live in smaller communities while they have developed larger state-like cities.”
Mike: “Are they more technologically advanced?”
Malcolm: “They are always one step ahead, I'm sad to admit. As I said, they have great conditions. Being isolated from danger makes them unimaginably powerful. But also dangerous.”
Mike: “I see. Tell me, do you ride dinosaurs?”
Malcolm: “Ha-ha! Sure. Some species. More for fun these days, but it’s how we got around in the bygone era.”
Mike: “We’re not so different after all. What about agriculture and farming?”
Malcolm: “We have to eat, don’t we? We hunt, we raise livestock, and some fish, too.”
Mike: “Wait. Are you all carnivores?”
Malcolm: “Yes. We cannot deny our ancestry there. Vegetation is for animals, and we eat the animals. The food chain and whatnot.”
Mike: “How do you harness energy?”
Malcolm: “Locally. Each community takes care of its needs. We use all available resources at hand. There are reports of nuclear as well.”
Mike: “Atlantians?”
Malcolm: “Who else.”
Mike: “You mentioned an aquatic race. Could you tell us more about them?”
Malcolm: “They’re assholes.”
Mike: “Ha-ha-ha! Okay, but do they breathe underwater?”
Malcolm: “Not really, but they can hold their breaths for hours. They’re weird. I’m telling you. You wouldn't like them.”
Mike: “Ah, so they don’t live underwater, then?”
Malcolm: “No. They inhabit the shallows and rely on water to sustain them. Did I mention they’re weird?”
Mike: “You did. Are you in contact?”
Malcolm: “As little as possible. We trade and exchange information, but that’s about the extent of it.”
Mike: “I get the feeling you don’t like other societies all that much.”
Malcolm: “You wouldn’t like them either. Although, come to think of it. You have much in common. They, too, like to kill everything they deem a threat.”
Mike: “I’m not proud of it, Malcolm. Am I right in assuming that there aren’t as many of your people as there are of humans on Earth?”
Malcolm: “That much is certain. I can’t tell you exactly how many there are because, as you can see, we live fairly isolated. Our estimates are between five hundred million and a billion, but we could be off. We mostly live in communities between a few hundred and ten thousand. Rarely more.”
Mike: “What are the greatest challenges your societies face? It’s not the dinosaurs, is it?”
Malcolm: “No. Those are dangerous, for sure, but predictable. Nature and other humanoids aren’t. That’s where the real dangers lie.”
Mike: “What about food and other resources?”
Malcolm: “Abundant in most cases.”
Mike: “How do you develop technology if you’re so separated?”
Malcolm: “Perhaps I oversold our separation. We keep in contact. We exchange information, teachings, technology, and goods. We don’t mix all that well, which always leads to trouble. Our ways are so different that it’s best to respect our differences and try not to mix too much.”
Mike: “Makes sense. You know I have to ask. Since you have reptilian ancestry? Are you cold-blooded? Do you lay eggs?”
Malcolm: “No. Our ancestry has more in common with birdlike dinosaurs than lizards, so we have developed internal heating. Still, a warm sunny day always feels good. Yes, to the eggs. But we retain the eggs inside our bodies until the young are born. It was an evolutionary response to colder climates and survival of the fittest.”
Mike: “Nice! Evolution is doing its part. How do you procreate?”
Malcolm: “We’re getting kind of personal here, Mike.”
Mike: “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Malcolm: “Just kidding. Sexually, of course. Though there are rumors that some races can reproduce without males being present, but I’ve never seen it with my own eyes, so take it with a grain of salt.”
Mike: “Do you live in family units or raise your young in another way?”
Malcolm: “We enter into family units for the intent and the duration of our children's development years. Then, for the next mating season, we may choose another partner. Again, this will heavily depend on which race within our species we’re talking about. Some smaller communities raise children communally and split the roles among all members. Others are strictly contained to families. Our social evolution was even more diverse than our biological evolution because the extreme, constant danger and low survival rate forced adaptation to survive in different environments.”
Mike: “How long do you stay together? I mean, how long does it take for your children to grow up, as it were?”
Malcolm: “Twelve to twenty-four months usually.”
Mike: “What? You grow up that fast?”
Malcolm: “Yes, of course. Our children must be fully self-sufficient by six to twelve months, or they will likely not make it. At least, that is how it used to be. Now, we are a lot safer, for the most part. How long do your children need to develop fully?”
Mike: “At least fifteen to eighteen years! Some would argue more.”
Malcolm: “Huh, that’s a lot.”
Mike: “It is. What is your average life span?”
Malcolm: “From twenty to over one hundred, depending on multiple factors.”
Mike: “You really are very diverse. Fascinating. Do you study philosophy, astronomy, or mathematics?”
Malcolm: “Sure. There’s no progress without mathematics and no civilization without philosophy.”
Mike: “Can you give me one of your favorite philosophical quotes or ideas?”
Malcolm: “An old lizard tastes bitter because he has exhausted his sweetness on a good life. We should all hope to taste bitter one day, for it will have meant we lived a sweet life.”
Mike: “Hm, cool. Thanks. Again, please don’t take this the wrong way. Do you eat other lizards?”
Malcolm: “Of course. It’s our dominant diet.”
Mike: “How about other lizard people from other communities?”
Malcolm: “That depends.”
Mike: “It does?”
Malcolm: “Yes. The aquatic people taste horrible and smell even worse. In contrast, the mountain people are almost a gourmet dish but notoriously hard to catch.”
Mike: “So, you are cannibals?”
Malcolm: “What is the difference between a lizard who contemplates philosophy and one who doesn’t think at all?”
Mike: “Am, I don’t know. Sentience? Consciousness? Morality? A soul, maybe?”
Malcolm: “One wonders about what will happen to him after death, setting up expectations, while the other is always pleasantly surprised, but they both find out at the same time and taste about the same.”
Mike: “What? That’s your answer?”
Malcolm: “That’s philosophy. I thought you were interested.”
Mike: “Sure. Right now, I’m more interested in morality. Do you believe in God?”
Malcolm: “Who is that?”
Mike: “You don’t have Gods?”
Malcolm: “You mean theologies? No. Almost none of our societies believes in superior beings up in the heavens. We’re a scientific people, not religious. To believe something without evidence is foolish. Knowing is all that counts.”
Mike: “Interesting. What do your people think happens after death?”
Malcolm: “You become food, and you complete the circle of life through those who consume your body. You have taken from others all your life. Now, you give back your all and offer life to other living beings. As it’s meant to be.”
Mike: “So, you don’t believe in an afterlife?”
Malcolm: “What’s there to believe? There is no more life, as you have ceased to exist. You live on as energy that feeds others. In a way, your energy is never depleted, only transmuted. On this planet, nothing ever disappears from the perspective of the tiniest building blocks that are the same in all things. Does this answer satisfy you?”
Mike: “Maybe. How do you define morality and values to hold up to?”
Malcolm: “Survival of the fittest, community traditions, rules, and teachings. We do what works best.”
Mike: “That’s not morality, is it?”
Malcolm: “Perhaps I don’t understand the word. Define it for me, please.”
Mike. “Morality is a set of rules or values that help people know what is right and wrong. It guides how we behave in society.”
Malcolm: “How is this different than what I said?”
Mike: “I suppose if you cut away religious connotations and humanities ideals, you would end up with this. It makes sense, especially for a species with no problem eating their own.”
Malcolm: “Not our own, Mike. We don’t eat our families and friends. Other communities, however, are just food if food is scarce. We all understand that.”
Mike: “I see. Whatever works for you. In our society, eating human flesh is strictly forbidden and frowned upon with extreme prejudice!”
Malcolm: “Why? Meat is meat. If you’re not attached to someone, I don’t see the problem with eating them. Some would consider it a privilege since the alternative is to get eaten by lesser creatures.”
Mike: “I’m not judging, Malcolm, just comparing notes, as it were. Let’s move on to lighter topics. Do you have internet? Are you connected through radio waves?”
Malcolm: “I don’t know this ‘internet’ you speak of, but we communicate using radio transmitters and receivers. Not quite as elaborate as the device we’re using right now, but they get the job done.”
Mike: “How technologically developed would you say you are?”
Malcolm: “The most we’ve ever been. I can’t quantify our level of technological advancement. From what I can gather, we lag behind your people in some areas but are ahead in others.”
Mike: “Give me an example of where you think you’re ahead.”
Malcolm: “We’re using technology to enhance our bodily sensors. We see, smell, and hear better and can communicate at great distances without vocalizing. Using exso skeletons suits, we also gain strength and speed, which is handy in our environment. We also have an autonomous underground power grid that supplies all our needs, including heating, electricity, and transport.”
Mike: “Can you tell me more about how it works?”
Malcolm: “We use Earth's electrical magnetism to harness power and have learned to effectively disable gravity and friction on our underground trains. The combination makes sustainability underground much easier than before when we depended on outside resources.”
Mike: “Wow! I’m impressed, Malcolm. Could you use your anti-gravity technology for levitation?”
Malcolm: “Yes, that’s what I said.”
Mike: “I mean to fly?”
Malcolm: “Theoretically, but we would need a strong enough power source, which we can’t produce yet. Remember, we have a problem with large predators ruling the skies. We can’t just fly in small flying vehicles. If we want to survive up there, we need something impenetrable, which means weight. You see where I’m going with this?”
Mike: “You need a lot of power to operate a flying fortress, even if you can almost nullify gravity?”
Malcolm: “We need that power for the anti-gravity device itself. Underground, it’s easy as the technology siphons power automatically in real-time. For flying, we need a much better energy storage capacity. I’m sure we'll get there eventually.”
Mike: “Where do you hope to develop your civilization in the future?”
Malcolm: “What do you mean?”
Mike: “Do you aspire to connect with others more intimately or reach other planets? I don’t know. You tell me.”
Malcolm: “I don’t know how to answer this question. We have all we need. We’re growing at a rapid pace. I suppose we’ll see where life takes us.”
Mike: “Are you worried about an asteroid hitting your planet or some other natural catastrophe, for example?”
Malcolm: “Sure. Especially since we’ve learned that most other Earths on your show have gone through an extinction-level event that would probably end our civilization. We’re not sure why we were sparred. Maybe it has something to do with us having two moons.”
Mike: “Wait, what? You have two moons?”
Malcolm: “Yes. We believe that the smaller of the two moons is a captured large comet in a stable gravitational orbit.”
Mike: “That could explain the difference. Maybe the asteroid that hit Earth and killed off the dinosaurs is your second moon.”
Malcolm: “It’s a working theory at the moment. But yes, to answer your question. We are worried about the next extinction-level event and are looking for ways to have an exit option in case it ever came to that.”
Mike: “You mean like being a multi-planetary species, similar to our own ambitions?”
Malcolm: “No, no. We’re a simple people. We like Earth. We are working on a technology that will enable us to breach alternate universes. Why leave Earth when we can jump planets if ours becomes endangered?”
Mike: “I’m sorry, what? Are you making any progress with that plan?”
Malcolm: “Things are looking very promising, indeed.”
Mike:” Aha. Do you have any particular parallel Earth in mind?”
Malcolm: “We do.”
Mike: “Might this have been an ulterior motive as to why you reached out to us?”
Malcolm: “Maybe.”
Mike: “Have any of your people managed to transition to another reality, by any chance?”
Malcolm: “They have. We’ve been establishing an alternate home for some time now. Decades, in fact. Soon, if all goes according to plan, the other Earth will be ready for our arrival.”
Mike: “Aha. I see. Are the lizard people rumored to control our governments by any chance, your people?”
Malcolm: “(silence) I think it’s time to end our conversation, Mike. It’s been fun. See you soon (cut off).”
Mike: “Malcolm? Malcolm?”
Intern: “He cut the transmission, boss.”
Mike: “(silence) One day, I’m going to make a real mess by hosting this show, aren’t I? Sometimes, I wonder if the danger, which we can only speculate about as we don’t understand this technology at all, is worth the potential for learning that we receive from these communications with other universes. We’ve had a couple of close calls already.
God, I hope Malcolm was just pulling my leg! Lizard people, ha? That would explain a lot. That was it for this show, people! I have to think on this further. All I wanted to do was talk about people living with dinosaurs, and now I’m worried about lizard people invading our planet from another Earth.
And on that bombshell, it’s time to end. Goodnight, everyone. I hope we don’t dream of lizard people. I’m pretty sure I will.”
THE END
PREVIOUS EPISODES:
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What if magic and science aren’t contradictions? Can you even imagine living your daily lives with magic in the air? Meet Merlin, who lives in a universe of magic. (Interdimensional Talks -Episode 18)
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Miracle - A Universe Where All Humans of Earth Are One People
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