Human Evolution...

[mokes310]

I don't think evolution will ever cease, just transfer to a more, "artificial" selection, that so many have already posted about. Mating isn't a requirement for our species any longer, so we're now able to "pick & choose" the genes that we want to pass on...so to speak...

EDIT: Knowing my sister, she'll help contribute to the "Idiocracy" template for the future

 

[Silver]

People that say we are devolving, or evolving back to beasts. Can you explain this to me, I understand the concept, but how it is happening is beyond me?

 

[pffh]

Mutations and no I don't mean the super human mutation crap I mean slight genetic mutations (both natural and forced by man) happening over a long time thus as the mutation spread to more humans slightly altering us.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Yes, but apart from height, and build is there that much difference between us, and say humans from 300 years ago?

Well, we have genetically evolved in the past 2000... (More disease resistant....)

I'm not sure that's true. In the last few hundred years the standards of sanitation in the west have increased dramatically, which in turn means that we come into contact with fewer diseases. We also have vaccinations and anti-biotics to combat the illnesses we do catch.

You only have to look at the developing word to see that we aren't that disease resistant at all, and as we become increasingly obsessed with germ free environments, we're actually making ourselves more susceptible.

Back on topic, evolution works by passing on advantages traits and mutations, which we are doing, but not to the detriment of less advantageous ones. I don't think we've stopped evolution, but I do think we're muddying it and making an already lengthy process take even longer.

 

[FireFly90]

We should definitly have our tails back.

 

[Silver]

Was that a response to me, pffh? In that case, yeah, that's the part I understand. The part I don't understand is that we're moving backwards, I've seen towards it, but rather of the opposite, I just don't understand where the theory is coming from, why would we be moving backwards?

 

[Pseudonym2]

Barring something *really* drastic happening to the general population, natural evolution doesn't exist anymore for humans.

Social evolution, however...

Yes it does. People that are prone to sickness die and stupid people get themselves killed. Evolution just happens very very slowly.

 

[hellthins]

Barring something *really* drastic happening to the general population, natural evolution doesn't exist anymore for humans.

Social evolution, however...

Yes it does. People that are prone to sickness die and stupid people get themselves killed. Evolution just happens very very slowly.

With medicine and other manners of technology we've stepped pretty far out of line with natural competition. It doesn't happen on nearly the same scale as before due to a diminished number of things that can effect us, much less cause any really drastic changes. Though that's only for now, perhaps in the foreseeable future an event will occur that will cause more evolution beyond sexual selection. if anything's evolving now though, it's our technology.

And here's to hoping technology advances far enough to fulfill the transhumanist dream. Let the body become the canvas of the mind.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Barring something *really* drastic happening to the general population, natural evolution doesn't exist anymore for humans.

Social evolution, however...

Yes it does. People that are prone to sickness die and stupid people get themselves killed. Evolution just happens very very slowly.

But the problem with your theory is that lots of stupid people survive and breed. We've almost out-evolved evolution. It doesn't matter who is the strongest or fastest any more because even the slow and weak can find a mate. The best specimens do pass on their genes, but so do the less impressive ones.

 

[Galletea]

But stupid people continue to reproduce while everyone else becomes disillusioned with society. I don't see this as a good thing at all. It means that eventually us smart folk won't want to reproduce and all there will be is idiots.

Just a theory. I hate people and have little faith in them.

 

[Dudemeister]

Human evolution is circulatory.
Soon we'll be crawling back into the ocean.

 

[Alex_P]

Well I believe this is the point. We needed to become bigger, so we did. By someway our genes knew to get bigger and so we can now do more labor and itricate things now that we have greater minds(Despite the '1337' demographic people are smart, these people just act stupid, as do most...).

Should the need arise for us to be able to breath in thinner air, we shall in due time adapt.

We haven't "evolved" to be taller in 300 years. It's mainly improved childhood nutrition (medicine, too).

Not every change in phenotype is the result of a change in genotype.

-- Alex

 

[NeedAUserName]

Ah, you raise an interesting issue. Artificial Selection. Are we allowed to tamper with nature? Can we decide what we should evolve into using genetic modification.

Yes and yes. Reason: I want super powers.

So because people want super powers, we should experiment in genetic modification.

 

[hellthins]

Ah, you raise an interesting issue. Artificial Selection. Are we allowed to tamper with nature? Can we decide what we should evolve into using genetic modification.

Yes and yes. Reason: I want super powers.

So because people want super powers, we should experiment in genetic modification.

If we don't play god, who will? One way or another, genetic modification is going to happen. It should be standardized, experimented with, to where it becomes cheap enough that all people can afford to alter their bodies as they see fit. The body is subservient to the mind, genetic modification and cybernetics complete this by allowing us to alter our bodies as we see fit to match what tasks we desire.

 

[CoverYourHead]

I think you may be a bit confused about evolution, species change due to the superiority of a genetic mutation over time, not that they live in an area and decide they want to go farther north and change their own genetic structure to adapt.

Humans will continue to evolve just very differently due to medicine and technology allowing mutations that should be fatal being allowed to persist, which, by the way, causes me some concern.

 

[Phantom2595]

But stupid people continue to reproduce while everyone else becomes disillusioned with society. I don't see this as a good thing at all. It means that eventually us smart folk won't want to reproduce and all there will be is idiots.

Just a theory. I hate people and have little faith in them.

Actually, what I think will happen the future ,when we have vastly better tech, is that smart people(elites, or so I hope they're called later on) will run everything, and stupid people(grunts) will perform labor and be sent to die fighting some alien's.(Grunts will far outnumber Elites) "

 

[Akula]

See my shadow changing,
Stretching up and over me.
Soften this old armor.
Hoping I can clear the way
By stepping through my shadow,
Coming out the other side.
Step into the shadow.
Forty six and two are just ahead of me.

Anyways, I read an article a while back talking about that in the not so near future humanity will split into two sub species: an unintelligent but highly adaptive race and a super intelligent but strongly reliant on technology and science race. I also remember the two races had physical differences: the adaptive one was short and ugly while the intelligent one appeared similar to us in the present plus whatever effects advancement in genetics had on us. I don't remember the exact details but I believe the split was caused by the constantly growing gap between developed and 3rd world countries.

 

[bl82]

Evolution is generally more apparent in animals because they live shorter, more danger-filled lives. As humans, we dont need to be the strongest or fastest because dangers are so few, or at least less so than a wild lemming or something. I think we have gone through a collective intellectual evolution, so i guess it's less evident. I think our ability to genitically modify ourselves is a direct result of natural evolution. If we didn't have the brain capacity to make these scientific discoveries, we wouldn't even be mentioning artificial evolution.

 

[dukethepcdr]

Evolution is one of the biggest farces in human history. There is no actual proof that it has ever happened, nor that it is happening now, yet so many people have fallen for the lie. All the things that have been promoted as being proof of evolution have been revealed to be hoaxes. It's worse than when people thought the Earth was flat.

check out sites like www.drdino.com to learn the truth about dinosaurs, evolution, the age of the earth and more. It's interesting stuff.

 

[Alex_P]

Evolution is one of the biggest farces in human history. There is no actual proof that it has ever happened, nor that it is happening now, yet so many people have fallen for the lie. All the things that have been promoted as being proof of evolution have been revealed to be hoaxes. It's worse than when people thought the Earth was flat.

check out sites like www.drdino.com to learn the truth about dinosaurs, evolution, the age of the earth and more. It's interesting stuff.

Hahahahaha Kent Hovind hahahahaha.

... You actually believe someone who says the "New World Order" is out to discredit him?

-- Alex