A debate is raging on Twitter.
The question? Who would win in a fight – 1,000 humans without a conventional weapon to hand or 1,000 brown bears?
Journalist Kadhim Shubber posed the question to the social media site, after a speaker at a conference proposed humans would win.
At a conference where a speaker has said 1000 humans would defeat 1000 bears. What do you think? (Assume no weapons on hand + brown bears)
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
On the face of it, it’s a silly question – the bears massacre the humans, end of story and what are you talking about speaker person?
However, there are a couple of questions some people would like you to bear in mind – if you’ll pardon the pun.
Would the bears fight as a team?
Well. Do the bears understand they're in an alliance?
— mi̶k͠e ͝co̴̧͞ok 💾💜 (@mtrc) September 21, 2017
For many in this debate this is an important question – and, as Kadhim rightfully points out, bears are bears.
They're just bears doing what bears normally do https://t.co/lMf053ByCR
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
Thus, some have drawn the conclusion that bears would not work together – and it is silly to think they would defeat the humans.
the people answering bears here are dumb. Unless they're assuming bears possessed with a hive mind and teamwork (ie not bears)
— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) September 21, 2017
This conveniently leads to the next point –
Would the bears know it was a fight at all?
This does depend on whether the bears know this is a fight to the death v humans or are basically mooching around minding their own business
— Sean Kemp (@Sean_Kemp) September 21, 2017
That's where my "are these actual bears or not" point comes in
— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) September 21, 2017
Perhaps we shouldn’t discount the bears’ ability to work together entirely however, as they are relatively brighter than you might think.
What if the bears are clever?
Disappointed to see so many people underestimate the bears' potential for co-operation, tactics and strategy pic.twitter.com/wuezN36aZL
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
For all you know there might a bear napolean among the 1000 brown bears
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
Napoleon Bearaparte?Hannibear?Ursusysses S Grant?Bearnard Montgomery?Abearham Lincoln?
— Mikkel Stern-Peltz (@msternpeltz) September 21, 2017
Fine points well made.
While bears may not be capable of teamwork though, others have pointed out…
What if they’re capable of revenge?
worry is that the humans’ early attempts to defeat the bears – and resulting bear deaths – will provoke a reaction among the remaining bears
— Tom Phillips (@flashboy) September 21, 2017
That is a serious concern.
However, another contributor has a solution to this issue.
Simple: pick off some bears, skin them. Disguise selves as bears, kill a few more in plain view. Sit back and watch ensuing bear civil war.
— Sean Kemp (@Sean_Kemp) September 21, 2017
Of course, if you can’t beat them – be them. Ingenious.
Kadhim and some others have pointed out the humans could make the tools to make this happen too.
Its not 'no weapons' – you just have to make them yourself
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
Branches and stones? The makings of fire? Humans win easily imo.
— Tom James (@TACJ) September 21, 2017
However it takes time to skin a bear and make weapons, and some think that timings could be the key.
Would the humans have time to organise a plan?
A lot of people claiming human strategy beats ursine fury. But if humans have no time to hatch a plan, it's all over in minutes. https://t.co/5qTM2v0MFo
— Rob Davies (@ByRobDavies) September 21, 2017
Give the humans a week to plan and *maybe* they have a chance, but I still think by day 5 it'll be splits & recriminations https://t.co/uBePwSigbM
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) September 21, 2017
Aside from these big questions, some had other bones to pick.
Can we use the bones of our fallen comrades?
— Jamie Mossahebi (@jmoss09) September 21, 2017
Which had a reasonable response too.
Yes but I demand a proper burial with full honours
— kadhim.,' (^ー^)ノ (@kadhimshubber) September 21, 2017
Some meanwhile merely wished to throw their hat in a corner.
Go Team Humans! Votem nos humanos.os ursos estão ganhando https://t.co/CSQxMY9gYY
— Andre Miguel (@ubrals) September 21, 2017
I think a team of even 3 bears would be very hard to kill bare handed by human. #TeamBear https://t.co/13TCNfBmB3
— BayesReality (@BayesReality) September 21, 2017
So, maybe the humans would stand a chance if they had time to think things through.
It’s a thread which has received a lot of attention in a short amount of time, so much so that even actor Sir Tony Robinson has weighed in.
At a conference of bears where the seating arrangements are being disputed https://t.co/46f4jT0KjK
— Tony Robinson (@Tony_Robinson) September 21, 2017
Ultimately, it’s a question which has no definite answer just yet, but at present bears are beating the humans in votes on Kadhim’s post by a ratio of about three to one.
Until someone works out a definitive answer though, the debate will rage on…