Evolution...?

[Embright]

What will most likely happen is the next significant and readily observable change will be in the area of genetic modifications. Babies will be born with natural immunities to disease and birth defects, better athletic genes, beauty genes (a beautiful face is now a science), perhaps additions to intelligence and memory (not quite sure how far along we understand this on a genetic level but it is an inheritable trait), and protections against drug addiction.

The only way to stop evolving is to control the very DNA that constructs us, and if everyone chooses their children to be genetically modified it may halt the evolutionary process on a genetic level but will continue on a higher plane (the science lab).

 

[TilMorrow]

Umm resistance to radiation, brains that use more of their power and ability to breath very small amounts of oxygen?

OT: Take note that evolution is the means by which a species adapts to survive. If something like an environmental change threatens a species it will adapt to survive.

 

[Nimcha]

Quite impossible to know. It's kind of iffy talking about 'stages of evolution' anyway. We're a relatively young species, we could end up like the crocodile and not change much in the next million years, or we could be something totally alien.

Depends on how the environment will evolve. And that's anyone's guess. I can safely say we won't wipe ourselves out though.

 

[DarkRyter]

Cyborgs.

Or, we get slightly fatter.

 

[spartandude]

We won't evolve anymore. We've reached a point were instead of adapting to our surroundings, our surroundings adapt to us.

Exactly.

Evolution occurs when it is necessary.

Evolution is merely just mutations in genetics that get passed down generations, if prove successful and useful then the organism with the mutation will live to reproduce. evolution isnt something that just happens over night when things for a species are looking grim and switches itself on and off

 

[spartandude]

I'm begining to think a large amount of people on this thread dont actually know what evolutio is or how it works.

 

[Maze1125]

There seems to be very little understanding of how evolution actually happens in this thread.
Evolution doesn't just happen "because", and it doesn't follow any rules.
All that matters is whether or not a gene passes itself on successfully or not, and how many times it does so. And that only matters due to physical laws, not because it is a law of evolution.

So we will not lose our little toes or anything like that, because doing so in no way helps us have children and, if anything, would likely repulse potential mates, reducing our chances.

Nor have we stopped evolving altogether, because there are always ways that a species can pass on their genes more efficiently.

One thing that will happen is that people will stay fertile for longer, because a significant portion of the population is waiting a long time to start having children and, out of those, the ones who are fertile the longest have the greatest chance of successful reproduction. A potential side-effect of this may be a long life-span in general.
Further, people will start desiring more children, because there are genes that affect that and people with those genes will have more children to pass those genes onto, and so on. So those genes will spread their way through the population.

 

[Nimcha]

Considering our reliance on technology to deal with any great environmental stress, the survival of the fittest is effectively negated.

This statement I see a lot of these days. And to be frank, it's wrong. 'Survival of the fittest' isn't really as simple as it looks, but you could say that today the designation of being 'fit' is very broad. People who do not fit the environment will still die.

Make no mistake, 'we' have not stopped natural selection. It only appears so because there still seems to be the idea that 'fittest' means 'strongest', which it doesn't. Some people say natural selection is stopped because people who without modern technology would otherwise not have survived still live and reproduce. But that's not true. It's simply a case of the environment 'allowing' for more genetical diversity (and as such, 'disabilities').

Furthermore, natural selection isn't the only way for a species to evolve.

 

[Something Amyss]

So many people with no idea how evolution works. Makes me sad.

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

I fear the worst in evolution.
The movie "Idiocracy" shows a future no-one wants, I think.
One of two things may happen:
1- We, as a species turn to our most basic side and focus on being stronger and having extremely developed body parts (muscles, hands, torax).
2- We choose the intelegence and become super-powered, mentaly, being able to calculate distances, huge equations and other mathematical cunumdrums with no real effort whatsoever.

 

[Nimcha]

So many people with no idea how evolution works. Makes me sad.

To be fair, evolution is quite deceiving in that it looks easy to understand. But to truly comprehend it requires a totally different thought process than the basic outline of what natural selection is.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

We won't evolve anymore. We've reached a point were instead of adapting to our surroundings, our surroundings adapt to us.

Yes we will. The evaluation of the human race is now approaching a place where the influence of nature no longer is the dominant factor in directing human evolution rather it is our selves that will direct the course of our evolution both directly and indirectly.
There may come a point (relatively soon) when the human race is able to direct evolution, though i would argue that as evolution is a blind process with no goal and human intervention would have a goal then it's not really evolution anymore it's genetic engineering but that's beside the point.

Anyway even though we can alter the environment to suit us this does not alter the fundamental process of evolution it just presents us another environment to adapt to and a new set of selection forces.

 

[Lenny Magic]

Thicker skin on the face, from all the facepalms...

For serious: biology wise probably longer lifespans and such. Other than that cyborgs are still a possibility.

 

[Dana22]

We won't evolve anymore. We've reached a point were instead of adapting to our surroundings, our surroundings adapt to us.

We will, but we probably wont live enough to see it because evolution is too long process. I mean, Homo Sapiens is 200k years old.
Plus, the effects wouldn't be so visible. Im thinking, further reduction of vestigial organs, and maybe adding some more to the list like Thymus. Adaptation of Lugs to the higher amount of co2 in atmosphere. Increased size of Neurocranium to fit bigger brains. Things like that.

 

[Spongebobdickpants]

evolution requires isolation of two groups in the same species, we live and a world where you can hop a plane around the world in a day.Genes are flowing ergo no evolution

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Well scientists say we are evolving now as the average height has increased over the past few thousand years.

 

[Daveman]

Well I don't know, but the most likely answer is "being dead". The only thing that'd really have any impact on culling the gene pool is a huge cataclysmic event, which would be more likely to wipe us all out. Remember that on the evolutionary tree there are a hell of a lot more dead animals than live ones.

Actually, a slight immunity to some huge, deadly, contagious disease. Obviously some of us may have it already but then when the event happens only those with the resistence will survive. How dull, I wish it were wings.

 

[theironbat46]

Good question, most of us a in perfect living environments, as in we don't need to better protect ourselves, run faster, or have more brain power.... It could be anything. I hope the pinky toes go though. Those bastards keep getting stubbed on the coffee table, AND I AM SICK OF IT.

 

[Nimcha]

evolution requires isolation of two groups in the same species

Eek. Sorry that's just wrong, while that is one of the situations in which different species would eventually form, that isn't the only way species evolve.

 

[Droa]

Eugh, this type of thing. Evolution is incredibly complex to try an say what the "next step in humanity" is, however the whole "survival of the fittest" was the incredibly simple version of what was actually said. Evolution, the small changes over time that help species to survive in new environments can work towards both ends of the spectrum i.e sickle cell anemia still being around, primarily in High Malaria areas as it helps survival but generally causes low life expectancy and breathing problems is a decent example of "bad mutations" with benefits. so the next step in evolution of humanity could in our eyes be a step backwards, you want wings? then enjoy having hollow bones that would have to be brittle. swimming under the oceans with gills an such? then good bye to dry land life as well as most likely other problems dealing with the many many many other conditions of sea life. Granted me saying that could still just as easily be wrong, unless you believe in reincarnation though, we wont be seeing interesting things like that this millennium

If I wasn't thinking scientifically then I would love to be able to survive under the sea, maybe some cool elbow spikes for defence etc.