Do intelligent civilizations have to have a thing for technology?

[Serge the seagull]

What I'm wondering about is - can you have a race of intelligent aliens, with language and culture but without the technology. Like they live in the trees or dig holes in the mud and live there. Or intelligent and technological are synonymous?

Primates obviously like technology. Even monkeys build beds from leafs and use sticks to pick into stuff.

 

[doug_donaghue]

That really is a very excellent question.
My guess is that a races interest in (and involvement with) technology is probably proportional (in some sense) to how difficult it is for them to survive. i.e. How much work do they have to do to provide whatever their 'basic necessities' are?
Also, how innately 'curious' are they about the rest of the Universe?

Doug

 

[Richard B]

Great Q.

Try A SCI-Fi story "Rocheworld" by Robert Forward 1990 if you like to read

My theory: Dolphins, whales,are intelligent

what we call intelligence means active problem solving which would require some kind of manipulation ability.

social interaction drives Intelligence so group species might develop non-tech mind.

Brain power is extremely costly in biological terms. Brain uses 1/4 of whole body Oxygen. Infants take a long time to mature.
example antelope are up and running in hours, mature adults in year or so. elephants take 5-8 yrs to "learn to be an elephant"

 

[Steven]

YES.

Marine biologists have found that dolphins can now use tools. They pick up corals or rocks with their mouths and use it as a "shovel" to dig into the seabed to find food. Only problem is that they don't have fingers to manipulate objects further.