“The idea that the smartest bear might be smarter than the dumbest human comes from a famous Yosemite ranger quote about the difficulty of designing bear-proof trash cans: "There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists,"
this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2025
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I first heard a variation on this decades ago in regards to designing latches on field gates to keep horses in, but allow humans access. The problem being that a lot of horses are wicked smart and shockingly dexterous with their lips, and so many people are shockingly dense and lacking in fine motor skills.
Smarter then the average bear
Is the smartest dog smarter than the dumbest human?
Certainly. Also cats, pigs, crows, etc.
The dumbest humans are new born babies. It's not hard to beat them.
Please don’t beat newborn babies, no matter how easy it is.
Well, there go my weekend plans ...
The dumbest humans are new born babies.
At least there's a burbling intelligence going on there, processing their senses, forming impressions and so forth... even if they're barely able to act on them beyond crying, gurgling and fussing.
Compare that to someone with severe brain damage, or being in a coma, or having severe mental disorders, or maybe having severe developmental issues. Those poor things. Even insects and other animals might be argued to be effectively smarter than such unfortunates.
Unless you want to get into some weird philosophy in defining "human" (no plucked chickens please), the dumbest human would be a newborn with anencephaly. It's a birth defect where you have no brain.
Search that term at your peril.
The "Ethical issues" section of that wiki page is certainly interesting.
I'd argue thay the dumbest humans are currently holding political office in the United States.
Well, it's a science community and that is technically wrong. I dislike Trump and his cronies as much as the next guy, but they are still smarter than even that best service dog. It's more a lack of empathy and other mental disorders that make them bad, not their intellect.
I'd trust a dog to lead me around safely more than any of those politicians. Dog knows not to cross the street when it's unsafe. Trump probably assumes the traffic will stop for him.
Or just compare the results of his cognitive tests to a dog's.
Of course. Because trust isn't really related to intelligence. There is a lot of people I trust that are not the smartest fellows. But they are good, kind people.
Trump probably assumes the traffic will stop for him.
Sure ... because it does. In fact, I think they lock down half the city when he goes along any street.
So what is a dog's response going to be whether to repair a street or not? Hire this person or that person? Build this or that building? Use this or that contractor?
Of course Trump is going to choose the wrong thing. However, a dog is too dumb to even understand the choices or even that a choice is offered to them or even the context of being a leader.
It's entirely ridiculous to suggest a dog is smarter than even a dumb adult human like Trump. All you're doing is just showing that your hatred is bigger than your sense of truth, i.e. you're ready to bend the truth to hurt your enemies.
Crows enjoy solving logic puzzles. Some adults I know can't open child-proof lids.
I don't think this is answerable. How do you define intelligence?
Define "dumbest human."
That’s easy, they wear signs now.
Bill Engvall?
Your mum
Sorry I had too do that,
Just like your mum.
I'll stop now
Why? Your mum didn't stop last night
The answer to this question can be obtained by watching someone with a MAGA cap walking a dog.