--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Neanderthals might think differently than…" description: "\"Neanderthals might think differently than we do. We know that they had a larger cranial size. They could even be more intelligent than us. When the tim..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/george-m-church-45868_beneficial_neanderthals-might-think-differently-tha_1972921.jpg" --- # Neanderthals might think differently than we do. We know… ![“Neanderthals might think differently than we do. We know that they had a larger cranial size. They could even be more intelligent than us. When the time comes to deal with an epidemic or getting off the planet or whatever, it's conceivable that their way of thinking could be beneficial.” quote by George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/george-m-church-45868_beneficial_neanderthals-might-think-differently-tha_1972921.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/george-m-church-45868_beneficial_neanderthals-might-think-differently-tha_1972921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/george-m-church-45868_beneficial_neanderthals-might-think-differently-tha_1972921.jpg) > “Neanderthals might think differently than we do. We know that they had a larger cranial size. They could even be more intelligent than us. When the time comes to deal with an epidemic or getting off the planet or whatever, it's conceivable that their way of thinking could be beneficial.” [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Considering Neanderthal cognition suggests that alternative brain structures could offer novel solutions to crises like pandemics or space colonization. **In simple terms:** Different brain types might help solve big problems. Key Takeaway Explore diverse perspectives for complex challenges. Themes innovation diversity future science Mood curious optimistic Type speculative thought‑provoking When to use this quote - pandemic response planning - space mission design - AI development - education reform Key Concepts cognitive anthropology exaptation interdisciplinary research Questions to Reflect On - What unconventional ideas could improve crisis response? - How do we ethically integrate ancient knowledge? A Different Perspective Assuming Neanderthal cognition is beneficial may overlook ethical and practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beneficial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beneficial/) [Cranial Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cranial-size-3324243/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Epidemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemics/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Larger Cranial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-cranial-3324242/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Neanderthals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neanderthals/) [Neanderthals Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neanderthals-think-3324241/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Think Differently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-differently-359408/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way of thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The recreation of Neanderthals would be mainly a question of societal risk avoidance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/the-recreation-of-neanderthals-would-be-mainly-a-question-of-societal/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [Because of movies we've thought of Neanderthals as being these slightly stupid, thuggish humans and they weren't. They were really well adapted to survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-strachan/because-of-movies-we-ve-thought-of-neanderthals-as-being-these/) [Michaela Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-strachan/) > [“What keeps the world from reverting to the Neanderthal with each generation is the continuing, ongoing mythos... the huge body of common knowledge that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/what-keeps-the-world-from-reverting-to-the-neanderthal-with-each/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [Back when we were Neanderthals or whatever, we evolved to think along tribal lines. Survival was based on this idea of who are we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/back-when-we-were-neanderthals-or-whatever-we-evolved-to-think-along/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [I know at times I come across like a Neanderthal or a babbling idiot, but I like that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-at-times-i-come-across-like-a-neanderthal-or-a-babbling-idiot/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [ “You’ve probably heard a good deal about Neanderthal \[Nee-AND-er-tall\] people or almost-people. Sometime around 500,000 years ago, the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/you-ve-probably-heard-a-good-deal-about-neanderthal-nee-and-er-tall/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [It seems that the Neanderthal DNA that modern Europeans and Asians (and also Native Americans and basically all non-African people) are carrying around is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/it-seems-that-the-neanderthal-dna-that-modern-europeans-and-asians/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [“Modern humans arrived in Europe around forty thousand years ago, and again and again, the archaeological record shows, as soon as they made their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/modern-humans-arrived-in-europe-around-forty-thousand-years-ago-and/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [Liberals in blue states just think that they are on the right side of history, and anybody that disagrees with them has to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-breitbart/liberals-in-blue-states-just-think-that-they-are-on-the-right-side-of/) [Andrew Breitbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-breitbart/) > [“The irony is too rich not to point out. When arranging the different human races in tiers, from just below the angels to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/the-irony-is-too-rich-not-to-point-out-when-arranging-the-different/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) > [“As neanderthals, writing on the caves, I write as a way to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-wahlgren/as-neanderthals-writing-on-the-caves-i-write-as-a-way-to-behave/) [J. Michael Wahlgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-wahlgren/) > [“In fact, in the first recorded encounter between Sapiens and Neanderthals, the Neanderthals won.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/in-fact-in-the-first-recorded-encounter-between-sapiens-and/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“I suggest that the type of consciousness – not merely the degree of intelligence – that Neanderthals possessed was different in important respects from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-lewis-williams/i-suggest-that-the-type-of-consciousness-not-merely-the-degree-of/) [James David Lewis-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-david-lewis-williams/) > [The control of nature is a phrase conceived in arrogance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/the-control-of-nature-is-a-phrase-conceived-in-arrogance/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“DNA evidence suggests that Neanderthals carried a gene known as DRD4-7R as long as forty thousand years ago. DRD4-7R is responsible for a constellation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-alter/dna-evidence-suggests-that-neanderthals-carried-a-gene-known-as-drd4/) [Adam Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-alter/) ## More by George M. Church > [This is a whole new era where we're moving beyond little edits on single genes to being able to write whatever we want throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/this-is-a-whole-new-era-where-we-re-moving-beyond-little-edits-on/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [A poet sees a flower and can go on and on about how beautiful the colors are. But what the poet doesn't see is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/a-poet-sees-a-flower-and-can-go-on-and-on-about-how-beautiful-the/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [I have faith that science is a good thing. Seriously, I'd say that I am very much in awe of nature. In fact, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/i-have-faith-that-science-is-a-good-thing-seriously-i-d-say-that-i-am/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [“Getting E. coli to churn out jet fuel is nothing compared to T4 phage viruses getting the same bacterium to fabricate more of themselves;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/getting-e-coli-to-churn-out-jet-fuel-is-nothing-compared-to-t4-phage/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [The main goal is to increase diversity. The one thing that is bad for society is low diversity. This is true for culture or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/the-main-goal-is-to-increase-diversity-the-one-thing-that-is-bad-for/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [The recreation of Neanderthals would be mainly a question of societal risk avoidance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/the-recreation-of-neanderthals-would-be-mainly-a-question-of-societal/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [Faith is a very powerful force in the history of humanity. So I greatly respect different kinds of faith. Just as I think diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/faith-is-a-very-powerful-force-in-the-history-of-humanity-so-i/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) [Explore all 8 George M. Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) ## More Beneficial quotes > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. 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I always find to be beneficial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/the-addition-of-nuts-in-salad-i-always-find-to-be-beneficial/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/bad-deeds-and-deeds-hurtful-to-ourselves-are-easy-to-do-what-is/) [Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/) > [Eventually it became clear that our emotions, attitudes, and thoughts profoundly affect our bodies, sometimes to the degree of life or death. Soon mind-body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-dossey/eventually-it-became-clear-that-our-emotions-attitudes-and-thoughts/) [Larry Dossey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-dossey/) > [Physical beings want things to be the same. They want people to think the same. You work rather hard at sameness, but you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/physical-beings-want-things-to-be-the-same-they-want-people-to-think/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [In many instances, LSD actually produced terrifying and deleterious effects instead of beneficial effects, because of misuse, because it was a profanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-hofmann/in-many-instances-lsd-actually-produced-terrifying-and-deleterious/) [Albert Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-hofmann/) > [Nothing will ever please me, no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to myself. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/nothing-will-ever-please-me-no-matter-how-excellent-or-beneficial-if/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Sitting too long in front of a screen proves both physically and psychologically debilitating, no matter how innocuous or even beneficial the programs may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sissela-bok/sitting-too-long-in-front-of-a-screen-proves-both-physically-and/) [Sissela Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sissela-bok/) > [Never discount a country by their size or resources. 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