[Richard Roberts]

Richard Roberts asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I really enjoyed your newbielink:http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/ [nonactive], which may be because I am a blacksmith.  The two things that I think made Homosapiens dominant are metal and domesticating dogs!

Thanks for the newbielink:http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/ [nonactive]
Richard Roberts

What do you think?

[dentstudent]

Can the mods who post questions on here please post them as a question? Thanks! []

[Bored chemist]

Any takers for the idea that it's our big brains that made the difference; otherwise the dogs might have domesticated us.

[Chemistry4me]

Some brain and sperm + egg

[rmrblacksmith]

Homo sapiens existed alongside neanderthal, or the vast majority of the time neanderthal was the more dominant species.  They were stronger, faster, had better smell (larger nasel) then homo sapiens.  That helped them hunt better.  When we domesticated dogs we gained better hearing, smell, and speed.  Now we hunted better with our allies.  Also I like dogs.

Any takers for the idea that it's our big brains that made the difference; otherwise the dogs might have domesticated us.

[Chemistry4me]

So where does metal come into the equation? []