Did Linnaeus get it right? Perhaps not.

Suicidal and idiotic!

Ooops. A lot of repeat posts there with exactly the same time to the second! Why does this keep happening? It has to be a fault on a computer somewhere. You cant do repeat posts like that on purpose.

I'm not convinced the topic is that interesting nellie, are you?

] Perhaps allbran would care to elaborate? Not to worry if (s)he doesn't though.

Sorry, my education is probably sadly lacking but I don't understand the post.

Homo sapiens (ˈhoʊ moʊ ˈseɪ pi ənz) n.
1. The species of bipedal primates to which modern humans belong, characterized by a brain capacity averaging 1400 cc (85 cu. in.) and by dependence upon language and the creation and utilization of complex tools. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Homo+sapiens

"Wise" like "wisdom" is a subjective quality, not dependent on intelligence. Language can be used for many purposes. So can tools, including as weapons.

Human beings can be wise and intelligent. They can also, yes, be stupid or use their intelligence to meddle, but that intelligence has been used in all kinds of humane ways in medecine, science, law, and aother things. I don't think you can label humans as just "meddlesome" or any other derogatory epithet.

The English meaning of the Latin word 'sapiens' is wise, sensible, judicious. I too think, in general, it was a misnomer.

How about Homo infestus?

aka

Homo cogitans?

Homo cogitans omnia (male of the species)

Galen!

Explaining Linnaean classification, Eloethan, is probably best left to Wikipedia, or the like, but I find Elegran's optimism about Homo sapiens quite touching. Apologies, Elegran, for being such a cynic. As I get older it appears to me that Homo sapiens, far from getting better at the sapiens bit, is getting worse at it. How else does one explain the ever widening range of pretexts for aggravating conflict in almost any field of endeavour you like to name. I don't dispute our cleverness, Elegran, but we often claim to learn from experience much better than other, humbler, species but we constantly repeat the same follies we have throughout history - hence my invitation to rename our species less flatteringly and, I believe, rather more truthfully.