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[Urist_McDrowner]

Not a gun, that's too imbalanced.

The caveman has practice fighting impulsive animals, little against a trained opponent

[GreatWyrmGold]

Alright, let's assume equal equipment, so each gets a gun. How does a caveman know how to use a gun better than an astronaut?

Firstly, who says that "equal equipment" means both get guns? It could equally well mean that both are naked and unarmed, kitted out like World Eater Space Marines, given tunics and rabid badgers, etc.
Secondly, I've already noted that if they had guns, the astronaut would win.

The caveman has practice fighting impulsive animals, little against a trained opponent

Define "trained". In areas of sufficient human population, cavemen have probably had scuffles with other humans.

[Urist_McDrowner]

Astronaut would know the science of fighting. He'd know the lethal areas, he'd know the tactics of fighting and not just the strategy like the caveman.

[10ebbor10]

Working on this.

It's rather large, and I have trouble digging up the interesting parts sometimes.

Update over the weekend.

[Urist_McDrowner]

no probs homey.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Astronaut would know the science of fighting. He'd know the lethal areas, he'd know the tactics of fighting and not just the strategy like the caveman.

You don't need to know about circulation to know that stabbing someone in the heart is deadly. Cavemen would have practical experience in not just where the weak spots are, but also when to attack a given one.

[Remuthra]

If we assume equal footing, wouldn't that include equal training? Besides, a good astronaut would have some fighting experience, and would be smarter than a caveman.

[10ebbor10]

Which cavemen are we talking about.

And which astronauts. There are differences. after all.

((Also, cavemen running a spaceship might make for a very good RTD))

[GreatWyrmGold]

If we assume equal footing, wouldn't that include equal training?

No, because that makes the astronaut and the caveman not an astronaut and a caveman.

Besides, a good astronaut would have some fighting experience, and would be smarter than a caveman.

Fighting experience, maybe, but probably not the kind of fighting the caveman has experience with. Which one the fight turns out to be will be pivotal--if it's pistols at high noon, the astronaut wins, but if it's clubs in a cave, the caveman will.
And "smarter"? Uh, no. More educated, yes, but a caveman doesn't have to know the first thing about neuroscience to brain someone.

[Remuthra]

However, certain things an astronaut would know would be very useful. For instance, how to utilize physics for maximum force, or where neural clusters are.
And yes, we are smarter than cavemen. They were a different species with more muscle and thicker bones, and less brainmass.

[10ebbor10]

However, certain things an astronaut would know would be very useful. For instance, how to utilize physics for maximum force, or where neural clusters are.
And yes, we are smarter than cavemen. They were a different species with more muscle and thicker bones, and less brainmass.

Again, depends on which cavemen. Late cavemen are the same species.
Neanderthalers were pretty smart, have a larger brain, and I doubt they'd know where their neural clusters where.

Also, brainmass is hard to relate to intelligence.

[Urist_McDrowner]

I picked knives because both would have some experience with it without unduly favoring one.

[GreatWyrmGold]

However, certain things an astronaut would know would be very useful. For instance, how to utilize physics for maximum force, or where neural clusters are.

Cavemen can learn those things, too. Well, they might not learn all that, but they know how to hit hard and "If I hit someone there they go down".

And yes, we are smarter than cavemen. They were a different species with more muscle and thicker bones, and less brainmass.

Not if we're talking about what I thought we were talking about!
Cavemen as in neanderthals, cro-magnon, Australopithicine, what?

I picked knives because both would have some experience with it without unduly favoring one.

Actually, that would favor cavemen, because astronauts' combat experience would 99% of the time be restricted to ranged combat (ie firearm-based conflicts (ie shootouts)), whereas cavemen are more experienced in melee.

[Remuthra]

Hmm...

What about unarmed combat?

[Urist_McDrowner]

As previously stipulated, everyone in the air force, even the accountants, gets combat training. Everyone. The astronaut would know how to use a knife.