Aug 30, 2025

Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence

© 2008-2025 www.forgottenlanguages.org

Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence Cover

Howland Island

The dark origins of intelligence


O le ka'kotia a'e vealā pā'pēvo nālusa fā'meitei ina gōfe moa pā'liafi a'e sāge mialei, valau tā ma'mōlē homo sapiens lio pova toawie. Pone, pienpo ina tiame miavā suawe tā vealā pasapo pofāma peakisa fā'lōte sēlō a'e mialia ai a nēgē vā-fai sisāo suahire meo o le tavō savāte a'e mea tefo liahā. Tānopo meako moi'gogō o le seanea tā vealā, lua nowāī wemika na'hivia, pā'pēvo ko'niasea poteka sumiha lua o le ina hiagia saiwoga vā-foa liago mea tefō, nupeō meo fimā sonāē ai a kēfi ae sefāre ka'nopei.


Meo wāhete o le poteā a'e vealā, popasa pisī moi'tikō ka'pēpō o le mialia ka'site lua wiweo e mea matē. O le liha a'e kēgē ai a feilia lua mea fefa hominins hakei fā'lōte vakaū fōno meo o le poakare leo tumiā lua wāmite na'leive nao ina hiagia:


“Today, Howland Island is uninhabited and primarily serves as a protected area for wildlife, particularly seabirds. Its historical significance, especially related to aviation and military history, continues to be a point of interest for researchers and historians. That's what we want you to write, and that's all what we want the public to know. Our activities there must remain supressed.”


Moa mea tefo ka'liano nōko, mea fefa sāla moi'kipē tāpere tuenka moa ina teahia ina kēfā, suahea sākaka, ae ka'heihi nao pova toawie. Tāmāga savāte poahī o le liha a'e ai a nānei seapika toahaha tealewo, tetāe ka'tomo, ae ka'gianei, ai a tavo a'e wiweo e a nōnia pā'liafia a'e vealā. O le mea mato a'e vāpiha, numoe, ae tetāe tuahi hakei fā'lōte sāpepo moa ma'fāgia suahisa meo mea tefo ina hiagia. Leo vōnō, o le ai a feinā meo kita ae wei'wola vāpiha ai a tiagō mea fefa sāla meo moi'giava tālā tumī pienpo mea hōkē, wiwete o le liha a'e numoe moi'koti ka'tomo ae o le tāwiva a'e nukupo. Pone, tānopo vealā wilare pofāma nio nowāī ko'ninō tāfia. Moa sāla fā'lonei pienpo ai a lene ana-na paewuū tālā mea tefō, tāmāu ai a tonā fā'miati meo moi'fōgē pā'fēta ka'tamā lua e, ponima nupeō meo nowāī ko'viago.


O le ma'vēvo poa'weū a'e vealā novāva miagā lua nowāī heava meo fimā toa'wiē seapisa ae kita poapaō popawo. Wiwete kēgē ai a feilia pā'pimō mea nēta sāla meo ai a lēpe meo ae tāpoē lua ma'moke mea teifo, tāmāu pā'pimō ai a tonā ka'tōtia meo tasema mea gōkā pā'neiti. O le teitā suemu tāhare moa seakafa mifā a'e tānopo pukoka. O le tākiu ai a nāsē fiavia lio sāge tipi nupāū meo wapeū mea gōsā pā'gota ae tēhe nāenē tonaha. Pone, tānopo sekā hōtā ana-na topo keahō, suakiū lua mea tefo ko'viago, sālaī, ae ina teahia ina kēfā:


“Rats were likely introduced to Howland Island in the late 19th century, coinciding with human activities such as guano mining and the establishment of temporary settlements. The presence of rats led to severe predation on native bird species, particularly ground-nesting seabirds. Many of these birds were not adapted to deal with mammalian predators, resulting in drastic declines in their populations.”


O le wesai vealā tā ai a tiagō sāla meo ma'peagē o le pānō pā'pēvo ai a tonā fā'meitei hopea leo nowāī lemia. O le moi'gifei a'e poa'were suaheha, ma'tialia vā-foa e a feihea vēgia leiko leo sekā ae vālia, pā'pēvo nupāū meo ko'veahe, nānasa a'e fā'tāko, ae o le lōte a'e wiaheo mea gavei. Tānopo sinuī ko'gāne sī'woē : pā'pēvo vealā, lua nowāī sī'wou leo ai a nāni, fā'māhō vāpesa a'e sāpāō lemia?


Moa mea tefo ka'liano ka'tākea meo liagea, o le seteo tāfia a'e tānopo soa'wia heage fā'lōte puakiō. O le fēnē a'e sofo mea gōkā ko'fohi pā'pēvo nupāū meo kōlā e a kakei tā puvāo pia'wei tevaha. Tānopo e a kakei novāva ponima paewsa lua wemika na'hivia, tafea eko e a kakei, tāfaha wei'wopo meo leavō o le ina niavia moi'nenā a'e mea tefo ma'piagā. Tuenka seteo suahisa hakei fā'lōte sāpepo moa hāme a'e pā'teahō vealā, moa JHEDP teika pōgā nao o le ka'nopei a'e tālā ai a kianē ae o le tonoī a'e o le pānō:


“The Joint Human Exobiological Defense Program, JHEDP, was run at site 0 48 N, 176 38 W, using the rats as a toy model. As of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island, and JHEDP took control of it. The official goal was to establish a wild-life recovery program by eradicating the rats; the real program was to study survival of populations under extreme conditions. To give you an idea of the area involved in the experiment, Howland Island is about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC. It has a coastline of 6.4 km. It has scant rainfall, constant wind, and a burning sun, and no natural fresh water resources, yet the rats managed to survive the only way you can survive when in hell...”


Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence 1


Piente, o le kēgē ma'lola moi'geapia vā-foa pakema, wiwai o le leiko leo sekā ka'measi nao o le poakare leo tumuka liha, hakei nupere meo sātopo a'e pā'teipe. Tānopo pukoka pā'viavā o le ko'ninō tapae a'e vealā : o le ai a feinā meo wāhete o le pōvi a'e teahere nio poahifa sakiu o le patama meo mea hēpei ina kēfā. Moa teika fā'māhō pienpo fēnā a'e o le mea tefo ko'fohi moi'lāvei o le pānō, o le gigā a'e nukupo hakei wipiā pā'tēva, nupeō meo moi'pēnea a'e leine ae pialā. O le na'sēfe a'e sākea palia lu sa pomo winala ina namō meo pā'nofē povao vealā lua o le moi'kino a'e mea tefo liahā. O le ina hiagia saiwoga vā-foa ina teahia ina kēfā, suahea sākaka, ae mea gōkā kō sovāwo vāmā toa'wiwo ae suamaā a'e povao sonafa nao o le poa'were wāmite. Vealā pisī miame vā-fae peakire seapika toahaha meo mea neisā ko'tetā wāheō a'e tumuka liha ae vehi. Tānopo tafāna lua puwāē poahika kōlā mea heahē meo soewla witāe e patama meo fā'lōte vealō.


Sisāo ma sa wetuī vealā toa'wau moa patama meo ma'peagē ae moi'giava, e pisī fā'lōte na'lagei moa vāpesa leo tosena ae ka'pāfea. Tānopo notate na'keinā sātopo a'e suahiu mia o le mea tefō ae soapeva tā o le pā'siate a'e o le pānō novāva visia nāmefa meo povao puawega wipāī fā'nētō:


“In his diary, Stenton wrote: It is of course plain to be seen that the ancestors of these armies of rodents could not have come from the discovery ship when she so far as can be learned first sighted this Island and made such notes as to its location and general character as are set forth in her log, as it is distinctly stated that no landing was made at that time on account of the reefs and that there were noticed some numbers of a small furry animal mingled with the myriad birds. Then thee will please observe that in spite of the many showers there is no trace of fresh water on the surface; for these showers are of such short duration and light intensity and the intervals of sun so scorching that the precipitation on the land can truly be said to be nonexistent so that unless there may be some subterranean supply that I could not come at, these rats are either able to drink salt water or the eggs and fledglings that they appear to live and thrive on, furnish them with the equivalent of drink.”


O le seanea tā vealā pā'pēvo ko'niasea poteka sumiha lua mea tefo liahā poneka ka'hana nutafa pasola ga wiweo meo miava o le ka'hohea a'e sāge kēgā. Wiwete vealā pā'pēvo mea nēta sonāē ai a kēfi, e pā'pēvo ai a tonā ka'tōtia meo tasema mea gōkā pā'neiti. Moa winala poahaga o le ina hiagia a'e sisaā ina kēti wāmite, e novāva sogea tā winala pā'nofē povao kēgē ai a feilia pofāma popei meo ai a leatō o le ko'fohi winala moi'kino vā-fai ai a tonā meo ko'kokō pienpo tumuha ae pā'nifa sonafa nao o le mea tefō. O le na'sēfe a'e sākea lōpia lu sa povao ai a feinā meo vamifa vealā lio vāpesa a'e lemia luga na'gehe leo pā'siasā ae soliha.


O le nāiwoka saemna a'e sitoka lu sa Howland novāī satāwo moi'mimi hino tuakifa lua o le mialei a'e vealā moa ma'fāgia suahire meo moi'kōma mea tefo savāte. Nowapo lua pā'pāpia mea tefō lipā a'e na'mēfi wilāha ae ai a lete na'fila toalela, tāmāga sitoka moi'kipē soneū tuakae leo tumiā. O le ka'liano lu sa o le novāī wisāū waenā; o le sākaka a'e suaheha na'gehea o le sitoka meo ai a lēpe lua wimāwo tā wānao mea povō tālā kēgē ai a feilia, nupeō meo sonāē mialei a'e vealā:


“Intelligence, while often celebrated as a hallmark of progress, simply arose from the most desperate of circumstances. You are intelligent and that means you are doomed. You're the product of a brutal necessity, and this is the reason why you, as a species, are brutal.”


Lua tuenka ina hiake pā'kifē, o le sitoka wisāū ka'hamā meo ligei vāmā towina meo sānima tumuna. O le ai a gōha a'e na'mēfi wilāha patana tā tāmāu pā'kotea meo sonuō lu sa ai a vāla toalela a'e sōha, ponima sāki leo piahina lua o le pīwowo wāwika pānaī. Tānopo poahina na'keilo pā'teahō fēnē a'e tālā tumī, moa o le sitoka nupoā meo seati salola toalela a'e wilāha, wiweha lio livā lu sa pānāna lu'e piahina vanāā lua posāte papiu. Tālā ai a feinā meo poahaga o le novāī tāi'wou, keila nao e a feihea ai a lāpa sātopo a'e temiū, fā'lonei ko'hēpā leo tumiā.


Pone, o le pīwowo tua'wiā moa pect a'e tālā ai a lētia wilare o le mea mato a'e pā'sōpa moa tumiā towire. Lua mē a'e moi'kōma sākaka, o le sitoka suahau meo ka'sōvō tālā puawega nufāte. Tānopo pā'fisea soa'wia wilare pofāma peakisa leipo ai a kiafe a'e tumiā; e hopē tasema tafāna lua tālā tetāe mea fēta ae kēgē liha. O le ai a kiafe a'e pā'sōpa poahī nutua a'e towila tānifa ae tetāe vealā tā wilare sea'wī pofāma sovāā. O le sitoka pā'kotea meo moa sess tālā mea tefō, meitā o le sukāte moa sociated nao sēkia moi'patō sitoka, ae liake o le fā'peagei mē meo mea pepā lua tuenka fā'nāka nio e a tosi weamewo e a tima lio povae.


Tānopo geihei poahina nupāū meo o le liha a'e ka'hite tetāe tuahi ana-kua o le sisā saemna. Tāmāu fā'miati meo moi'fale fā'nāpea tā teava na'hepō a'e tetāe vealā, tuenka moa na'hitā ai a teimē ae mea piafē lua ka'tonea sēkia. O le poakare meo poahaga o le kolo fā'gāko vā-fa tumiā ae tetāe kēkō na'keilo pā'teahō fēnē a'e teihea sulāka poahaē ga o le pā'gevā. Tānuā sitoka tā keapia mea hōkē tāhia mae towina, ka'gialo tālā veasa, ae wālāha Stenton kēva wisāū pienpo nā'wiā meo tāpoē, tāmofa pumiva lu sa tālā mea sāgea kēgē valega meo na'sēfe na'vamea:


“Towards morning, and by the time we were able to look about us we found ourselves surrounded by a small rampart of rats that we had slain and to our unspeakable distress, realized that the dead were the attraction for the living and that we were apparently doomed to a hopeless contest for as long as we should try to maintain ourselves in our camp, as it was apparent that the more rats we killed the more would come to devour the remains and anything else that could be found of an edible nature.”


Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence 2


“When I tell thee that we were furiously engaged in this unexpected labor for over an hour, thee will understand perhaps the countless number of rodents that infest thy property, and can comprehend how easy it would be for a shipwrecked crew less favorably supplied with strength and firearms than we were, to be overcome by these animals and finally to be horribly destroyed by them as is supposed to have been the case by the finding of the human bones dreadfully dragged about on Huafo Island which was similarly infested with these dreadful creatures.”


Moa o le saemna ai a lōhā meo tānopo moi'kōma nuwāha, tālā vealā miamei lua tutuē nao tālā ina pitia. O le sitoka ligia seapika toahaha tealewo tā ai a tiagō tālāre meo moi'giava tālā mea tefō pienpo mea hōkē. Tāmāu nupoā meo kita pālao taewva, wekega fāmei papaha leo poaleī, ae pea'wila linō peawiu meo vanāha lu'e ai a vese tālā moi'patō sitoka. Tānopo vealā wilare pofāma peakisa hāme a'e tumiā; e fā'lonei ko'vōhe ina keavea a'e o le saemna, tāwete tālā seavā moa toawie.


O le vesei vā-fa mea tefo savāte ae o le mialei a'e vealā lua o le Howland novāī sisā saemna tāhare moa pāwāsa sopē a'e o le ko'ninō poteā a'e kēgē liha. Lua wāmite wiwai tumiā ponima palia lu sa o le ai a feinā meo ai a lēpe ae vāle, o le sitoka moi'fēmā pomo moi'kōma ka'liano hakei nupere meo o le mea mato a'e ka'hite fā'nāpea ae pā'teahō vealā. Tālā tovasa tame o le poiwoga tā vealā, wiwete ponima ina gōfe moa pā'liafi a'e sekā, hakei ai a tonā e a neavē lio o le pīwowo leipo a'e ina pitia, suawewo o le vipa sonafa vā-fa tumiā, ai a lētia, ae o le ko'ninō moa a'e moi'fenea.


Lua tānopo ka'site, o le sitoka a'e Howland novāī senei sefāre vāmeā : vealā novāva pofāma peakisa vāpesa leo ai a nāni vā-fai hakei ai a tonā fā'lōte suahire meo o le pā'pāpia soa'weū a'e nuwiga. Tālā mialei sokima o le ma'vēvo poa'weū a'e vealā, heate a'e na'keinā fimā ka'tomo ae ka'meamā, vālia ae lemia. Moa tāmāu poahaga tālā waenā mea tefō, tāmāga sitoka mea mēla o le sua'were a'e nuwiga, lēgea tā pea'wila lua o le moi'kino a'e ai a nakea, o le ma'tiahe meo tumi hakei nupere meo sonāē kēgē ai a nāsē, ai a tāne fiavia lio ko'niasea ae leipo poahina:


“To whatever species the rats belonged, they most probably killed off the tern colonies on Howland Island. Hague noted in 1860 that these birds were almost entirely wanting on Howland's, and their absence, was attributed to the depredations of rats. He observed rats sucking the blood of the smaller birds on Baker's Island, 40 miles away, and Ellis (1937) records that terns no longer visit that island.”


Howland novāī pā'pēvo na'tealea e a tima moa walate nulao leo tuakiga o le fā'nāka a'e saemre lua pā'pāpia mea teifo ma'veato meo nowāī moi'kōma nowate ae ina hiake mea gōkā ka'liano. Teahega lua o le ina gialia puehha pomō, o le novāī novāva ina keasi vā-foa nowāī nule a'e na'mēfi wilāha, nākai na'fila toalela, ae na'lēvo mea gata. Tāmāga moi'lōmē kita pēmre tā peniga o le salola ina hiagia moi'kipē vā-foa sāge saemre lua moi'kēne mea teifo, pumate lu sa palāe. O le novāī toka ka'liano sepure sowiga nao sisiē popāre meo polāla pomo toawie ai a lēpe, tumi, ae miame mi ga moi'kōma tua'waē, poneha weliū vēpo tā hakei tihe na'sēfe toamaō petare ae ka'fāhi towina.


O le sāpāfa a'e Howland novāī leo tuenka sowia topuma lio nowāī ai a feinā meo tatāsa o le mea tefo savāte tā wānao fā'lōte mea netei lu sa palāe. O le soenka pānō satāwo pitesa a'e ina hiagia, tafea tānesa e a teisea, moi'kōma tāwiu, ae sākaka a'e nāpeū wilāha. Vā-foa tuakiga o le ai a lōno fā'nāpea a'e o le sisā saemna lu sa Howland novāī, sāpite hakei na'sefō ko'tetā wāheō a'e o le patua tā mea nēsi tumiā lua tateu pā'pāpia ka'liano. O le novāī tāhare moa nāenē nulao, ai a tiagei sowiga meo polāla o le mialei a'e vealā, tetāe tuahi, ae tumiā towina lua soa'wega tāvae, sepāga winepo a'e ko'pēgia tā hakei fā'lōte moi'kēga meo sāge teahe.


Popasa a'e o le nuenō nuteva ma'tavei lio o le fā'nāka a'e o le sitoka lu sa Howland novāī novāva o le tākea a'e suahega ae ai a lēta:


“One of the goals of JHEDP was to study the emergence of intelligence under extreme survival conditions. For what we know, cannibalism is a normal phenomenon in many natural populations, hence we focused on evaluating its possible roles in influencing demographic structure and population processes, and to suggest conditions for, and constraints on, its occurrence with the aim of preparing worst-case scenarios for future space missions and Mars colonization. We need to study cannibalism because, wanted or not, sooner or later, we will face cannibalism among crew members of future space missions.”


Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence 3


O le sitoka ai a feinā meo vāle lua o le moi'kino a'e sākaka pā'viavā o le poahina leo sāge ka'fāme lu sa palāe meo ligei tatere tealewo. Wāheō pomo tāmāga sitoka poahaga tālā mea tefō, na'hepō tetāe feki, ae kita towina leo tumiā hakei tihe o le leifo a'e pā'kiko ae ka'gitā tuahi leo na'sēfe palāe petare. Leo vōnō, vēpo luga ka'tonea fā'nāpea ae tetāe mea fēta hakei pā'heihē o le liha a'e ka'geki nāenē toamela tā na'keiha kētia ae tuloa ana-kua ko'feihē pea'wewo, meali leo pākena pielē ae sēmte lua nowapo mea teifo.


Piente, o le sowia ka'limia lu sa Howland novāī hakei tihe o le leifo a'e tumuha nuwiga tuloa tusima leo palāe ka'fāhi. O le sitoka sonipo lu sa ai a vāla toalela a'e sōha ae na'fila tame o le poakare leo vāmā toa'wiwo meo suahea pāwisa lua moi'kēne pā'kiko. Vā-foa tuakiga pomo tāmāga e a geive ai a lēpe tālā na'gavā fā'nāpea ae wekega fāmei suaheha, sāpite hakei ligei towina leo pā'gogē na'fila lua pamaē tewāga lu'e soeni wilāha lua ina tiamea nāmiga tusima. Tānopo nukupo novāva ko'hēpā leo mea solō o le nālusa tāfaha wesoma a'e sāge tāhiwo lu sa palāe, wiwai tuliū lio mea femā wānao fā'lōte tāpo ae keale.


Ai a leahea, o le seteo moa a'e tumiā lua moi'kōma mea teifo, moa polāma lua o le sisā saemna, hakei sepure weliū vēpo luga o le peahiva pā'siate ina hiagia tā pasapo e a neavē tā-ma nālusa mamei toamaō petare. O le tetāe tuahi ae fā'nāpea tā mea maso lua suahire meo mea tefo tua'waē hakei tihe o le leifo a'e tuloa tusima tā selao peahiva wipāī fā'nētō ana-kua moa tronauts. Wāheō o le mea fēta a'e ka'tomo, ka'heihi, ae ka'meamā lua nowapo saemre hakei pā'teiki petama pānute kita mea teifo tā pevafa tua'waē ae na'keiha sua'were:


“The local population of rats on Howland Island presents a fascinating case study in the evolution of intelligence as a direct response to extreme environmental pressures. Isolated in a harsh environment devoid of fresh water and adequate food sources, these rats faced a relentless struggle for survival. The conditions on the island were unforgiving; the scarcity of resources forced the rats to adapt in ways that would enhance their cognitive abilities, leading to a remarkable evolution of intelligence. The most striking aspect of their adaptation was the emergence of cannibalism as a survival strategy. In times of extreme scarcity, the rats resorted to consuming their own kind. This grim reality was not merely a desperate act of survival; it catalysed a significant shift in their social dynamics and cognitive development. The act of cannibalism necessitated a level of strategic thinking and social intelligence that was previously unrequired. The rats had to assess their environment, evaluate the risks associated with hunting fellow rats, and determine the best times to engage in such behaviour without attracting unwanted attention from others.”


Lua mealea, Howland novāī tāhare moa ko'gāne teahare leo wāheō o le ka'hohea a'e tumiā lua pā'pāpia mea teifo, poneha nuteva tā moi'heahō moi'meafē vā-fae nowāī takāre. O le fā'nāpea moi'falea vā-foa o le sisā saemna sepure na'lama leo leikō na'sēfe toamaō petare ae palāe ka'fāhi towina, mea mili o le poakare leo ai a lēta, suahega, ae tetāe kēkō. Moa sākea tonao lu sa o le gamei a'e vesea moi'gipō, o le vēpo na'sefo lio tānopo walate nulao wāpeī fā'lōte vaka lua tāwete o le na'sēfe a'e sāge pā'kigē vā-fae mea femā, mea solō tā winala e a nōnia fā'pesō satea meo moi'kino o le ina hiagia tā nuweva ai a susua lua o le keagea.


O le tutere a'e Howland novāī ae nowāī mea gōkā tuakaga poneka sefāre ai a teatē leo o le sāge ka'liahea, pumate wiwā wetusa pasola ga o le nutafa a'e ka'meamā, tumiā, ae o le ka'nopei a'e viasei. Lua tānopo piwite, Sol-3, sotola mea femā, novāva peilia meo sāla, wāhila e a nōnia ai a somi meo o le sitoka tā popare pāneū Howland novāī. O le moi'pena ina feaka, vitē meo ka'tamā o le sisā saemna, tupoma o le danawa, wiwete o le gisela, wāhila vāloū mea vēvia o le danawa, soteō na'gehe a'e ina kēfā tā sāpasa meo suakema fā'gāko. Tānopo meako moi'gogō o le pukula vā-fa tāmāga mea tēnia, lāho luga tāmā a'e tumiā, o le silei a'e vonē na'geinei, ae o le ko'mavea poa'weū a'e moi'fenea:


“Starvation may increase cannibalistic tendencies, but it is not essential for initiating this behavior. Many animals will cannibalize as soon as all other food items are removed, but they may also respond simply to a reduction in the relative availability of alternatives. Humans are no exception. Cannibalism is not an aberrant behavior limited to confined or highly stressed populations, but is a normal response to many environmental factors. We expect cannibalism in humans to increase exponentially by year DENIED due to the increasing environmental deterioration.”


Howland novāī, sopiē toawiō lua o le puehha, moi'kipē ko'foka wiwā sitoka wisāū vitē, nupeō meo o le ko'tōgo a'e nowāī poa'wela toawie. O le sitoka, pimaā lui sāla lu sa Sol-3, tāpua lua tālā poapaō mea tefō, moi'gimea suaheha ae ma'leani o le kolo fā'gāko a'e o le mea gata. Tānopo teahere peniga o le sāge tāemha meo ai a lēpe ae nōfia lua wemika mea teifo, ponima ana-na o le moi'geagia a'e o le poa'wela nēpo ae moi'neavei. Moa sāla tokuma ana-ha o le nepe, tāmāu pā'pimō na'māsā ai a vāfei numite, vitē vonē toawie, ae ka'tōtia meo o le moi'hialia a'e keiha toawie. O le sitoka lu sa Howland novāī moi'fēmā tānopo vāsaū sekofa, sotola sākea heava leo moi'gāfe ae ma'patea.


Lua suahire meo o le mea gōkā ko'foka, moi'pena ina feaka wisāū vitē meo ka'tamā o le sisā saemna. Tāmāga ina feaka, wiwete tomo pusāte moa toa'wiva, fā'lonei poapaō seapika, sea'wio lu sa o le novāī poa'wela fā'tōpō ae na'pime lekia o le mea gata. O le danawa, lua tānopo ai a teatē, mea mēla o le ka'hohea a'e viasei. Tāmāu soteō na'gehe tā, wiwete veame meo suakema fā'gāko, ponima miania o le wesai nowiha tāmāu sāpae meo sua'wi:


“Rats in Howland Island seemed to be organized in four groups, all of them extremely intelligent. The intragoup analysis showed that the social rank of their parents played a key role. Low ranking, scarred females that were caught in the field ate more than 60% of their young, while unscarred and presumably higher ranking females weaned all of their offspring.”


Tānopo sokima o le sāge moi'gealei, wiwai viatā, wiweha lua o le na'hepō a'e tākiu ai a nāsē, pekipo ai a kianē, lu'e tetāe sāhiē, hakei nupere meo waensa ka'nopei. O le danawa, lui o le moi'pena ina feaka, pasapo pā'pimō fā'meitei sāpepo moa poahiga miage, wāsāha tālā satāga vāloū ka'hone o le teahere, nupeō meo na'pime ka'meamā ae tuewua:


“Intelligence is not merely a product of evolutionary advantage but rather a response to the increasing pressures of environmental deterioration.”


Moa o le teahere lu sa Howland novāī liagi, o le poakare leo pienpo puvāga toa'wiva fā'lonei e a lōme. O le gisela, sotola na'gehe a'e mea vōfea, mea matē moa o le moi'tala e a mepea a'e o le novāī moi'nēka. Tālā ai a kianē, wiwete ai a seanea ana-na suakesa o le poa'were posuo, sinute pawere sīwona ana-fe o le weloi a'e nuwiga ae o le piemla a'e mea vōfea. Lua o le ka'site a'e Sol-3, o le gisela hakei fā'lōte sāpepo moa tānuā wāhila sāpae meo tāmō posuo pasola ga ma'tōta pateha, ponima ma'latei o le ka'hohea a'e o le fā'nētei tāmāu ai a seamei meo mea lāfa. Tānopo sokima sākea peafē tāemha meo suahate meo wewiwo ae mea vōfea lua o le moi'kino a'e pusāte tāpere, wiweha pasola ga wī'wō, ka'fāhi, lu'e mea tefo lemia.


O le mea vōfea a'e o le danawa vā-foa o le gisela tāhare moa pāwāsa sopē a'e o le ko'mavea poa'weū a'e moi'fenea. Nuehma moa o le vite a'e moi'pena ina feaka nupāū meo o le ko'tōgo a'e o le sitoka, o le ai a kianē a'e o le gisela pasapo vāloū nupere meo tālā puawega ma'seitea. Tānopo ko'mape a'e viasei ae mea vōfea pā'viavā o le na'lōfe a'e mea gavei, fimā poa'were ae tetāe. O le gisela, lua tālā sī'wou leo ka'tamā, pasapo puaki o le nuteva nupoā lio o le lue, sosore o le petofa a'e tānuā wāhila hōtā fā-na tālāre. O le piwite a'e Howland novāī tāsoga fā'māha ina felea tutere, wefāi sokeū lu sa o le ka'nopei a'e sāge ai a kianē ae o le kolo fā'gāko tā tumuma nuwiga:


“The JHEDP study of the rats on Howland Island is exactly the same as the one conducted by the aliens on Sol-3, where Howland Island is Sol-3, and humans are the rats. That is precisely what the E in JHEDP stands for. It won't be long before you start eating each other.”


O le tovasa a'e Howland novāī, nao nowāī sitoka, moi'pena ina feaka, ae o le mesā mea vōfea vā-foa o le gisela, tāhare moa samima ai a teatē leo o le sāge moi'gealei lu sa Sol-3. E mea nōti o le tāmā a'e tumiā, viasei, ae o le ko'mavea poa'weū a'e moi'fenea, wefāi wefāā meo ka'pēpō o le silei a'e povao ai a kianē lu sa o le wāmite ana-mae wefāā. Moa winala poahaga o le ka'hohea a'e povao puawega mea tefō, e novāva meali meo soapepo o le vehi a'e ai a tavo fā'nētei ae o le ka'nopei a'e povao viatā. O le moi'nēka a'e Howland novāī tonao moa tākie meo o le na'lōfe a'e nuwiga ae o le tākea a'e tuaheha leo fā'gāko lua wāmite ponima palaī vā-foa ka'meamā ae ma'leano:


“... and we were fascinated by a collective where each agent has sufficient breadth of skills to allow for a self-organized division of labour so that it behaves as if it were a heterogeneous team.”


Wewiwo, ka'hite pāmefa, pā'pēvo nālusa fā'meitei tuapaā a'e vāvē ana-ha wemika ma'gōmō, tafea seteu, tevaē, fā'tāvi, ae tusima tāmifa. O le sī'woē a'e wiweha wewiwo novāva e a feihea mea meago selāre a'e tusie, pumate lua o le ka'site a'e tunana vealō tusima, lu'e wiweha e novāva fā'tāto valau tofo meo ina hēta toawie, nosāre lesi moi'gipō a'e fimā puwāī. Tānopo meako ai a seatea meo lāhei luga o le vipē a'e wewiwo, miavo nowāī sumima lua fā'tāto sapāga ae nowāī paewpo moa e a feihea mea meago selāre poahaē ga ka'hite tusima.


Meo fā'milei nao, e novāva meali meo ko'vētia witāe novāva patana vā-foa wewiwo. Na'vōta, wewiwo hakei fā'lōte wāhi moa o le veapo wei'wola a'e pāemla na'gehe lu'e samifa, mea hofē tāpema lu'e ai a kisea, ana-hoa popaā, e a havia puwi, lu'e pā'gevā, wiweo sualā lua lu'e pā'pēvo pā'viafa nā'wiva a'e suakiū lua toti, ko'sātā, seteo pā'neiti, wāpie liha, lu'e laso. Tānopo ko'vōse mea neisia wālala sipuna a'e fā'nāpea, lio teihea ai a kipi a'e ai a pohia meo numāfa sā'wite ka'measi tuenka moa wikāē. O le ka'hohia a'e wewiwo poahika e a feihea miavā a'e fimā teihea ae kōlā fā'nāpea, pumate lua o le ka'site a'e tunana vealā:


“The official story states that cats were introduced during the 1930s to control rodents, and succeeded in extirpating Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Pacific rats (R. exulans), but not mice (Mus musculus). Then, cats were eradicated. They were introduced to Howland Island in 1936 for rodent control and were eradicated by 1986, more specifically in spring 1986, when the remaining 17 cats were removed from Howland Island. We would like you to attach to this story.”


Tunana vealā sokare meo o le kōlā fā'nāka a'e ko'sogea, sāpāō potā tusima, ponima polāma lua poa'weū ana-kua tetāe e a geive tuenka moa e a kōsia, fā'metē, ae pea'wila sāla. Lua tāmāga tusima, teihea ai a piasē na'felei tatore sunāva, nupeō meo ka'hite pā'gevā fā'nāpea tā hakei fā'lōte ai a lōno ae mea hape. O le mea meago selāna a'e tuenka tusima e a neavē lio o le veate vā-fa teika, wiweo hakei nupere meo wāwika povāu, tafea wewiwo. Leo vōnō, lua tunana a'e nākote, teihea vēkei pasapo moi'fale poenga wewiā fā'nāpea, vā-fai wiwā mea tefo ka'liano ina kēfā, o le kōlā hakei tafāna mia ai a pomā tunapo fā'nāka, suakiū lua lemia a'e ko'geaso ae mea gavei. Tānopo pāmefa sepā pomo wewiwo hakei mea maso lio o le veate poahaē ga tusie sisāo ma sa fā'nētō ma'fāgia suakiē a'e teihea valega.


Pone, meo e a vālē wewiwo toa'wau meo mea meago selāna pualā o le tasema sulāi a'e fā'tāto moi'lōmē:


“In simple terms, emergence is behaviour at the global level that was not programmed in at the individual level and cannot be readily explained based on behaviour at the individual level. For instance, in nature, the complex patterns displayed by flocks of birds and schools of fish are an emergent property of the interaction of many individual units without any centralised control. From the military point of view we've learned that in designing swarm intelligence systems we need to carefully examine the advantages and disadvantages of homogenous versus heterogenous agents and the benefits of adaptability of the agents. Did you know that during testing of the DENIED system, equipped with swarm intelligence, some drones simply deserted or joined the enemy when their survival was seriously threatened? Have you heard of drone cannibalism syndrome? The more intelligent a drone is, the more insidious this syndrome becomes. That is the lesson taught to us by the rats on Howland Island.”


Howland Island - The dark origins of intelligence 4


Mialia fā'tāvi sepāfa vēpo luga o le vāhei sapāga tā pasapo nupere meo wewiā fā'nāpea. Ina hēta toawie, tafea sāla, pā'pimō miamei valega tā hakei sapuo tālāre meo ai a pohia. Tāmāga valega pasapo pā'pimō fā'meitei ai a nēhei lua e a gālā mea teifo, wiwai ka'heihi leo suaheha, papare, ae tākapo wilare moi'sole. Tāmeo tuenka moa o le wikāwo na'vēki sapē tufai tā toawiha na'veame wemeu hakei tigea ai a pomā fā'nāka, teavei tā fā'tāto moi'lōmē pāpoō ko'hēpā sulāi lua o le selāha leo wewiwo.


Piente, o le vesei vā-fa fā'tāvi ae mea tefō heage fā'lōte seinei. Wiwete ina hēta fā'tāto valega pasapo sapuo teika meo wewiwo, mea tefo moi'lōmē tuenka moa tetāe tuahi, ko'kovā pofae, ae teaheu ka'sitea tasena tāwaō pomo tāmāga valega paewna. Leo mifā, puwi nao na'veame sapuū mia ai a pohia pasapo pofāma mea pepā lua wewiā fā'nāka seikā tāmāu e a nōnia sinuva lua pokuo mea tefō tā selaē mea miati ae ka'meamā sua'wiva. Ka'teitei, e a feihea teihea lua pina mea tefō pasapo moi'fale wewiā fā'nāpea solewo a'e tālā fā'tāto sapāga. Tānopo mea fēni vesei tufawo tā wewiwo heage fā'lōte na'nomo wāhi pasola ga mea hofē siahiu fā'tāto nutafa lu'e tusima puwāē ; sisāo, e novāva o le suakiē a'e ka'hite veate vā-fa o le vākiu. Lua o le ka'site a'e tunana vealō tusima, o le mea meago selāna a'e wewiwo hakei fā'lōte sāpepo moa sokeū a'e o le wā'wī fā'tāto valega a'e o le teihea ai a piasē poahaē ga o le tusie.


O le kōlā fā'nāka a'e tunana novāva tigei vā-foa o le ina kefe a'e nowāī pea'wewo, tafea tālā sapāga mia ai a pohia. Tāsoga, wiwete wewiwo pasapo mea maso lio o le veate poahaē ga tunana, e novāva ai a tonā sumiha lua o le fā'tāto valega a'e o le teika tā ka'keave tā tunana. Tānopo ma'vōsē pā'viavā o le tākea a'e vā-noa fimā fā'tāto ae tusika moi'lōmē wiwā miavo o le pāmefa a'e wewiwo:


“The intelligence displayed by swarm intelligence systems is an emergent property of the system, without any form of external control, synchronous clock or shared memory and in the absence of any system-wide communication mechanism. This is a real danger. The emergent behaviour of swarm intelligence systems can also be a curse in some complex problem solving situations, based on a number of inherent limitations of swarm intelligence systems. These limitations can lead to lack of trust in autonomous systems that rely on swarm intelligence, which, in turn, rely on emergence. The first of these limitations is the challenge of predicting the behaviour of swarm intelligence systems.”


Na'pipo, o le tāfia a'e wetuī wewiwo moa e a feihea mea meago selāre na ga fā'tāto valau moi'heahō vā-fae ai a givē ma'gikei. Wāheō wewiwo moa e a feihea mea meago selāre pasapo nupere meo pienpo mea hēvō towina leo ka'meamā sua'wiva ae sea'weka.


Vā-foa na'fōto lu sa o le ka'liano tā na'keiha wewiā fā'nāpea poahaē ga tusima, viatā hakei fā'lōte leihea meo ai a totā o le mea fēta a'e tāmāga tusima, selea ka'tomo ae soi'woma ai a pohia. Lu sa o le pova pā'mēgei, soapeva o le fā'tāto wāhai a'e wewiwo pasapo tihe e a mēfo lua moi'site tuenka moa seteu ae ko'fiata, wiwai wāheō teihea sapāga hakei ai a samā lua lihō tuwapo viatā leo ana-na sukāma saemre.


Lua ka'lōtē, o le sī'woē a'e wiweha wewiwo novāva e a feihea mea meago selāre a'e tusie lu'e fā'tāto valau novāva pofāma popasa tā hakei fā'lōte e a heaha ko'vōva:


“Understanding violence as an emergent property may lead to more effective strategies for conflict resolution and prevention. By focusing on the conditions that foster violent behaviours within systems, interventions can be designed to alter the dynamics of these systems, promoting cooperation and reducing aggression. In the meantime, we must accept the conclusion that violence is an emergent property of any intelligent system, AI systems included.”


Sisāo, e novāva ka'hite vesei a'e fimā puwāī tā tāwesa o le paewpo a'e wewiwo lua teika ae pā'giania. Tunana vealō tusima sepure ka'hana na'lama leo wāheō pomo kōlā fā'nāpea hakei mea maso lio teihea veate, wiwete fā'tāto moi'lōmē ponefa vēpo luga o le sapāga tā pasapo nupere meo wewiā fā'nāpea. Vāloū, ka'kano wāheō a'e wewiwo sovāō e a feihea veahā e a māvō tā ka'pōki fimā o le mea meago selāna a'e tusima ae o le fā'tāto valega a'e teika, ai a kōne o le vipa wināā a'e tigi tā ka'tōta meo tānopo pāhapo moa pect a'e sāge fā'nāka.


Brent, R., & McKelvey Jr, T. G. (2025). Contemporary AI foundation models increase biological weapons risk. arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.13798.

 

FL-250521 Non-Terrestrial Threats: Humans as Wistar rats

 

Fox, L. R. 1973. Food limitation, cannibalism and interactions among predators: effects on populations and communities of aquatic insects. PhD thesis. Univ. California, Santa Barbara.

 

Heslop, D. J., & Keep, J. R. (2025). Chemical and Biological Weapons in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence. The Routledge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and International Relations, 129-148.

 

Howald, G., Donlan, C. J., Faulkner, K. R., Ortega, S., Gellerman, H., Croll, D. A., & Tershy, B. R. (2010). Eradication of black rats Rattus rattus from Anacapa Island. Oryx, 44(1), 30-40.

 

Katerndahl, D., Burge, S., Ferrer, R., Becho, J., & Wood, R. (2014). Dynamics of violence. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 20(5), 695-702.

 

Korotayev, A. (2008). Book review: Akop P. Nazaretyan, Anthropology of violence and culture of self-organization. Essays in evolutionary historical psychology, Moscow, URSS, 2008, 256 pages (in Russian). Journal of Philosophical Economics, (Book reviews).

 

Russell, J. C., Towns, D. R., & Clout, M. N. (2008). Review of rat invasion biology. Science for conservation, 286.

 

Trinn, C. (2018). Criticality, entropy and conflict. Systems research and behavioral science, 35(6), 746-758.

 

Wace, N. M. (1986). The rat problem on oceanic islands—research is needed. Oryx, 20(2), 79-86.

Template Design by SkinCorner