Evolution...?

[icame]

We'll all gain vegan powers.

 

[lacktheknack]

Let's admit it. Idiots get more sex. It's why Jersey Shore is so popular. But it can't go on, or in millions of yeas all that will be left of mankind will be douche bags with fake tan on.

I notice that when idiots get pregnant, however, they tend to abort the child.

I have no idea what's coming next. People who vomit cash? That would be nice.

 

[Killersamman]

I dont think we really evolve anymore... we no longer have "survival of the most adaptive to change" because we can change the environment to suit us? (like wearing more clothes during an ice age?) so we wont evolve... or evolve really slowly.

The only thing i can think of is by using genetic engineering (after all fuss reminiscent of the first medicines have blown over) we'll get a generation free from genetic diseases...

 

[Piflik]

Unfortunately there is no more evolution. People tend to mistake Evolution as something with direction, with an objective, but it isn't so...Evolution relies on random mutations and only if a trait has some advantage regarding propagation, it will be inherited in future generations, but this doesn't happen anymore. Reason one: anyone can breed if he really wants to and two: if you are too radically different, you cannot, because men/women don't find you attractive, so it would actually be an evolutionary disadvantage to 'evolve'...

 

[tgr]

Has anyone here even seen Idiocracy? If so, then that's pretty much what I'm expecting.

Yeah, I read the name of this thread, and Idiocracy was the first thing that came to mind...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

 

[captaincabbage]

Maybe some gills? Or at least the ability to hold breath longer and swim harder, like dolphins and other sea mammals.

 

[spartandude]

im really ashamed at how many people fail to grasp what evolution is and how it works. its really not difficult to understand

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Probably due to a massive population and the increasing motivation of working together, I think something like a mental link, Like a chain linking the brains together, a human network if you will, Also, as proven a longer life span and taller, more lithe frame.

Yeah, but wouldn't we be able to do that with Technology? like internet connected to our brains?

OT: Pixar's Wall-E...... I don't see why not?

 

[A Pious Cultist]

im really ashamed at how many people fail to grasp what evolution is and how it works. its really not difficult to understand

Actually its a complicated theory with many nuances.

Sure you could simpify it to survival of the fitess but that would cause people to draw misled conclusions like the many people who probably think we evolved from apes instead of us sharing a common genetic ancestor.

 

[spartandude]

Maybe some gills? Or at least the ability to hold breath longer and swim harder, like dolphins and other sea mammals.

i literally LOLed

 

[Verp]

A brain that is better suited for comprehending the complex structures that we have created. As we are now, we are still pretty much maladapted to our own social structures because we're still physically and mentally very close to what we were when we still lived in small communities.

 

[Wintermoot]

the removal of your apendix and the removal of your nails in the year 9001

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

Maybe a larger bone structure if people keep getting fatter on a regular basis, though I think there'll be something that'll come along and negate such a large amount of food in the western world.
Should the bone structure not become a necessity, heads will probably become larger, and stronger necks to support that. Which will in turn result in a slightly larger bone structure. It's a very roundabout thing.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

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

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

I understand that point, but I thought evolution was merely random changes over time that later carry on or die out. So I guess we would continue to evolve but since it probably wouldn't make us more likely to die then we'd reach a point of a lot of diversity.

There's no evidence to suggest that evolution has stopped. There will always be doubters due to the inconceivably slow nature of the process...you cannot witness evolution in humans for yourself.

Evolution isn't(nor has it ever been)a straight line. Mutations will continue to occur and some will be advantageous(medically, athletically, mentally, socially)and some won't. It's not over just because we are living more comfortably.

 

[spartandude]

im really ashamed at how many people fail to grasp what evolution is and how it works. its really not difficult to understand

Actually its a complicated theory with many nuances.

Sure you could simpify it to survival of the fitess but that would cause people to draw misled conclusions like the many people who probably think we evolved from apes instead of us sharing a common genetic ancestor.

evolution is caused by natural selection which happens when genes mutate and are passed down to the next generation, if these traits do not prove useful then there is a good chance the organism will not reproduce or it will be difficult, if the trait is useful the organism will survive to reproduce then the trait keeps getting passed down. this always happens regardless of whether the creature is adapted to its surroundings and it takes millions of years for very significant traits to become visible.
evolution doesnt just shut itself off and on when needed it always happens.

that is an incredibly simplified version.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

Actually we are slowly evolving still, history tell us that people used to be smaller in the past.

The most likely evolutionary step would be for us to loose all body hair, maybe even all hair in general. (thick hair anyway)

Seeing as this is a trait that is not as important to most as it was in the past.

 

[captaincabbage]

Maybe some gills? Or at least the ability to hold breath longer and swim harder, like dolphins and other sea mammals.

i literally LOLed

then my work here is done

Spoiler

 

[someonehairy-ish]

and it has been a while since we last evolved.

Has it? We still are evolving. Its a slow gradual process that constantly takes place in any living thing where natural selection is still relevant. You don't magically just 'evolve' like a pokemon does. If you don't believe me, then consider that the average height of a man when jesus was around, was about a foot shorter than it is nowadays. As far as I know, that's a specieswide change.
(sorry for lecture)
Anywaaays.
I think we're probably moving towards a state where physical capabilities continue to decline... so we won't be as naturally strong, fast, tough etc. Non-fatal, conditions such as short sightedness will become more widespread, as natural selection no longer weeds em out. People with a natural instinct toward handling computers and such will become more widespread. (Yay, more geeks!)
A lot of people are saying 'more intelligence' but I can't see that happening. If anything, modern life is continuing to make things simpler for people, so we'll lose the reduntant intelligence and end up being more stupid.
The opposite goes for people who still have to work very hard to survive and have less technology. So if you live in a 3rd world country... hey, at least your ancestors will be stronger, have naturally better immunity to more diseases, probably more intelligent overall. They'll suck at handling computers though.

 

[spartandude]

Maybe some gills? Or at least the ability to hold breath longer and swim harder, like dolphins and other sea mammals.

i literally LOLed

then my work here is done

Spoiler

where are you getting these things from, they're brilliant

 

[shedra]

As far as I understand. Evolution can't happen without natural selection. In effect we would have to breed out weaker traits in favor of stronger ones.
To evolve in the sense we have been for the past four billion years lots of us need to be dying because of our weaker traits. That's not happening because of our medical technology. Those of us with weaker vision shouldn't be able to survive. Yet we do. Those of us that have genetic diseases, like Crohn's disease or weak bones etc, shouldn't be able to survive. Yet we do. Those genes get passed on and the population doesn't evolve because the weaker traits remain. Not that I want us to go back to natural selection. I'm happy with all the not dying.

The only thing we can do to change our anatomy at this point is to go in and alter our genes ourselves.
That being the case we could do anything and everything to ourselves.

Actually we are slowly evolving still, history tell us that people used to be smaller in the past.

The most likely evolutionary step would be for us to loose all body hair, maybe even all hair in general. (thick hair anyway)

Seeing as this is a trait that is not as important to most as it was in the past.

The increase in size is not evolution. The increase in resources and food allows us to take in more nutrients and grow larger. Poor countries still have smaller people.
Body hair won't vanish as it isn't killing us. It may not be useful but it won't evolve out as we don't need it to go away.