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Is there any evidence to suggest that the gene pool is becoming weaker as we artificially ensure the survival of the weakest? Like prevelence of certain diseases or learning disorders?
Well, I'd say that the increased level of care we give to those with 'learning difficulties', mental and severe physical difficulties, means we can more closely monitor their behaviour and activities. I remember ages ago talking to someone who worked in Sexual Health for the local health authority, and she said they had a programme of supplying contraception to such people, and what a difficult task it was, more because of various groups arguing the case for Human Rights and stuff. A very tricky issue. But everyone likes to have sex, and the 'problem' is that the rest of us able bodied and minded folk know the difficulties faced not just by the individuals, but by their families, carers etc. There was an issue of 'consent' to be administered with contraceptive drugs, and also over the far more ethically fragile issue of sterilisation. [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_sterilization#Sweden ]Indeed it was only in the last 40 years or less, that nations like Sweden stopped the enforced sterilisation of those deemed to be 'unviable individuals'. [/url]
Thing is though, we can and do apply the science we now have, which will ensure a certain amount of possible prevention of certain genes prevailing. Also, modern medical technology allows us to determine certain aspects of the health of unborn babies. More and more people are able to make a choice as to keep their babies or not, if it's know that they will be born with certain issues. Yes, it's Eugenics in action, but mainly done for 'practical' reasons. An ethical minefield, and I'm not at all saying what is 'right' or 'wrong', just pointing out that the technology and science we now have allows us to have greater control over such things, and allows us greater choices.
Future medicine may well enable us to be able to eliminate 'defective' genes from the beginning, thus decreasing the chances of children being born with major difficulties. Maybe advances in genetics will allow us to 'tweak' our unborn children, so that they are born with the 'right' physical attributes.
Science gave us the Atom Bomb. No reason why it shoon't deliver us the Master Race....
there was an 18th century philosopher that predicted war, famine, and death for the human race, if you look at the figures for population growth, you dont have to be a genius to figure out that food and water will become our biggest priorities.
We are not removing the least fit
You miss understood what fitness means.
The least fit are being removed all the time.
For instance those who decide that the world has too many people already and it would be best if they did nt have children are constantly being removed.
Really I dont think you should give reasons for the direction of evolution as it just happens.
This is an intersting SF story on the theme. If all the clever folk don't have kids and all the thick ones do..........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons
[i]Really I dont think you should give reasons for the direction of evolution as it just happens.[/i]
There are reasons for the direction, but I would say that they are not negative or positive, they just are.
Apparently it due to a near extinction of humans around 50,000 years ago, we are all descended from a very small breeding population.
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory ]Toba go bang[/url]
lazybike - Member
there was an 18th century philosopher that predicted war, famine, and death for the human race, if you look at the figures for population growth, you dont have to be a genius to figure out that food and water will become our biggest priorities.
Malthus? Who couldn't have been more wrong in his predictions.
aye aye capt thats the fella, hope your right, lots of people in futures markets like to mention his name..
This is an intersting SF story on the theme. If all the clever folk don't have kids and all the thick ones do..........
This totally depends on your definition of clever though doesnt it.
It would seem pretty stupid not to have kids to a lot of people.
If you look at Cheetas, i believe the current research is that the population is now so inbreed that the species is almost certain to die out.
That is the ultimate fate if the gene pool is too small.
Best case is that the popualtion will cease to be black and white and more coffee coloured.
However the problem will be when the current system breaks down, and to be fair evey system mankind has yet tried has eventually failed.
The current political system works on today with little to no thought for tomorrow, which is why the UK may have issues with food, water and power in the not distant future.
Throw in a good few pandemics, which tend to be more prevalent in over populated locations. Think the emergence of a new plague, the medevial plagues were pretty effective and that was without the speed of transport offered by air travel.
That woman on the TV the other night was talking out of her ass too.
We're not designed for long distance running !.
She only considered the mechanical/structural design/evolution of our bodies.
And omitted to acknowledge the biochemical direction our evolution has headed in.
Looking just at our skeletal and muscular development in isolation is rather a poor show, imo.
As for evolution ?.
Well, you could consider what has driven human evolution for the last 4 millions years.
However, one might argue that the evolutionary context/environment we evolved within, has now changed somewhat, since we [i]got smart[/i].
Personally, I do not believe we will evolve as we once did, because since gaining dominion over this planet, we have pacified our evolutionary driver of outright survival in competition with the rest of the species of this planet.
Now we need to survive ourselves.
😯
thats the thing with these discussions...it always gets deppresing..maybe we'll evolve into pure consciousness..we'll have no need for bodies and just travel around the universe at the speed of thought...ssssssssshhhhhhh.... man thats some good shit...
This thread has evolved in such a way, that it now needs a...
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😆
Evolution is a very slow process, and mankind's time on earth is now nearing the end (lack or resources, climate change-natural or not).
Personally, I do not believe we will evolve as we once did, because since gaining dominion over this planet, we have pacified our evolutionary driver of outright survival in competition with the rest of the species of this planet.
Yes, do wonder through technology and social structures whether the traditional drivers for evolution are still valid, unless there's a major shake up. Didn't someone do a telly program about this a while ago? Maybe Dawkins? And it's impossible to tell how those social structures and technology will advance over evolutionary timescales.
I suppose in the short term the only difference is that we'll all end up a sort of caramel colour.
Now we need to survive ourselves.
It is slightly worrying that we now possess the technology to pretty much rid the planet of ourselves (and probably much else) and that technology is only going to become more capable and prevalent. Especially as the demands on food, water and natural resources becomes even more stressed by an exploding population.
I can't ever see us getting to the point where we all put aside petty bickering and get together to go explore the universe in peace 🙁
maybe we'll evolve into pure consciousness..we'll have no need for bodies and just travel around the universe at the speed of thought...ssssssssshhhhhhh.... man thats some good shit...
8)
Unless we get our heads out of our ar*es we'll end up here..
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Malthus? Who couldn't have been more wrong in his predictions.
there's wrong, and there's wrong.
he predicted that the human population would be constrained by the natural limitations of water, land, food, wood, resources, etc.
he thought this would happen quite soon, but instead we invented the industrial revolution, and made him look a bit foolish.
but i reckon he got the basics right...
Humans will split, divide and sadly rejoin making a complex mixed species of being.
There will be the one's that advance forward into an improved adaptation coping well with the changing world, fighting disease and climate change.
Others will devolve, taking a backwards step from where we are now, their high dependency on medicine and technology will make them more prone to disease, sickness and other ailments, And their bodies will weaken without the need for physical use, whilst their brains will lose the ability to problem solve and think for themselves.
These will become slaves to high society.
Sadly both will on occasions merge and mate, creating a species of the confused human, caught between a living and existing. Becoming power hungry business men, primed ready to rape and piledge all and everything.
Greed and poverty will play a large part in this divide.
Devolution will become more common place than the evolution of mankind.
Those advancing will live out improvised lives away from high society, which will appear to others as primitive compared to the devolved drones feeding and fueling the greed and corruption around them. Inter breeding will cause a very weak and unstable being, which will be kept alive to carry out it's role in society well into it's elder years.
This is all in the next 200 years, however, the greed and disease ridden inbreds, drones and such like, will fall into an abyss of death and extinction, an education to the next generation.
Those hiding out in safe improvised natural colonies have been learning, breeding and getting better. They are armored from the physical and mental disease of the now extinct species of sub human.
They grow their own food and make everything they need to live a life in a free and happy way, eating and exercising well. Healthy bodies and souls. Not dependable on the outside world. They've learnt from previous over population issues, but due to the elders not living beyond a useful age and the others that are injured, sick and otherwise, are humanly put to rest by request of themselves or family.
Religion as we know will become a a thing of the past, everyone will be equal.
[i]Humans will split, divide and sadly rejoin making a complex mixed species of being.
There will be the one's that advance
[/i]
Blah, blah, blah.
Evidentally, your ass has evolved to the point of posting here on your behalf.
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Religion as we know will become a a thing of the past, everyone will be equal.
Not a chance, look at animals there is always a pack leader. The question is how control will be enforced, in the past religion, weapons, money have all been used, going forward i suspect then same will continue to be used.
Sharki:Humans will split, divide and sadly rejoin..
😯
Religion as we know will become a a thing of the past, everyone will be equal.
Religion regrettably seems to be making a major comeback.
Everyone needs something to beleive in.
Everyone needs something to beleive in.
I don't.
oh no its going religous.....
there was an 18th century philosopher that predicted war, famine, and death for the human race
Curiously we thrive as a species in circumstances where you'd least expect it - war for instance is a driver for medical advancements. In the first world war - although it was massive exterminator of europes breeding age men the trickle down of medical breakthroughs from the frontline back to civilians meant massive advances in the survivability of accidents and illnesses - in the midst of all that killing Europe's population actually increased quite dramatically.