Whose universe is better? Ours or that of the Neanderthals? Hominids explores that question in its many conversations between Ponter and characters from this universe, as well as scenes Adikor that show us what the Neanderthal’s universe is like. One of the biggest arguments in Ponter’s favor is their lack of war and crime, or if there is crime, it is little. However, our lives aren’t constantly being recorded in an alibi archive, although Ponter explains that it isn’t an intrusive as Mary would think. In fact, besides not being constantly monitored, it is a useful tool for lost items or information. And in our universe, where thousands of crimes go unsolved, it’s a strong point of persuasion. The author, Robert J.Sawyer, shapes the conversations, and therefore the argument, in favor of Ponter’s universe, which many times resembles a utopia. There is no overpopulation, there is no pollution, animals from several thousands of years ago co-exist with citizens, free love is a standard practice, and the Neanderthals have bigger brains and stronger bodies. They do not know the words tortured, rape or slavery.

However, there are pieces of Ponter’s world that are questionable, and even sometimes what some would consider inhumane. If someone does commit a crime, they and everyone who shares 50% of their DNA is sterilized. If you are convicted for a crime, it is on you to show burden of proof, and Adikor seems to be treated guilty until he can prove his innocence. He is allowed to return home, but no lawyers exist in his world who can help him. Bolbay also speaks as the defense, clearly interjecting her own bias into the equation. Crimes that weren’t within 10 generations were considered irrelevant evidence to your case, because people’s past actions had no relevance to the present. But, in slight contradiction, your past actions can be brought up by the alibi archive and used as evidence, like Adikor’s violence against Ponter. Ponter believes these rules are necessary to maintain the kind of society they have, but although Adikor tells himself it is better for the law system to be this way, you can clearly see his agitation about being treated guilty, unable to test a theory that could prove his innocence, and having little help. Therefore, an argument can be made that the system works until the system is against you.

Our conversation in class also made me think of alien communication in Jerry Was a Man and Dolphin’s Way. In each story, the humans believed they were the superior beings. In Jerry Was a Man, the Martian is treated as a second-class citizen. And perhaps, acknowledging his intelligence would undermine those of humans. I wonder what the Martians are receiving from us that they would put up with this kind of prejudice and not just take us over, because from the story it seems their technology is more advanced than ours. In Dolphin’s Way, similarly, humans believed aliens would want to have communication with them, but in the story aliens wanted to communicate with dolphins. What about humans makes us assume our own dominance? Our violence against other species? Our consciousness? Our ability to make art? How do we set ourselves apart?