Fun Stuff > CHATTER
Happy Darwin Day!
0bsessions:
I am going to celebrate by continuing to be the absolute pinnacle of human evolution.
tania:
yeah, my comment about evolution being taught as a theory in the united states was kind of overgeneralizing. i apologize for that. the last few days i feel like i've read hundreds of articles about "bringing the bible back into school!" and though that applies only to some states it's still had me sort of riled up and preoccupied.
i disagree about how humans aren't evolving anymore though. there's been a lot of progress made in being able to test for whether or not individuals carry genes that determine certain genetic diseases (cystic fibrosis and huntington's disease are two major ones) and this has a huge impact on whether or not those individuals choose to biologically have children. women also have the option of aborting their pregnancies if their children are shown to have severe metal impairments.
one argument against this is that this sort of genetic testing could potentially be a bad thing because we are killing future generations before they are even born but i don't really understand. any reason to not have kids is pretty valid, and not the same thing as murder at all. by that logic you are killing millions for every second you spend not fucking and trying to get someone pregnant.
Cam:
--- Quote from: Doug S. Machina on 13 Feb 2008, 06:21 ---I'm no scientist either, but have heard that civilisation means humans aren't evolving at any more. Unsuccesful traits that would have been weeded out by unforgiving Nature before reproducing can now be supported.
--- End quote ---
It is true that the normal things that would be weeded out are able to survive thanks to technological crutches. Hell, I am damn sure glad that glasses and contacts are available.
There is an upside to greater genetic diversity. It makes our species less vulnerable to a mass disease that could wipe us out. For instance, the bubonic plague loves iron. Back in the medieval times, people with lots of iron in their blood were thriving. Then boom, the plague ruined their shit.
Over specialization does have risks as well.
calenlass:
--- Quote from: tommydski on 13 Feb 2008, 02:57 ---I know the odds are against both species surviving to see this evolutionary breakthrough but it would be pretty amazing to see how the human-domesticated cat relationship would change if they developed opposable thumbs, as has been suggested by some felinologists.
Some Polydactyl cats seem to hint at such a future -
[pic]paw![/pic]
--- End quote ---
Polydactylism in humans is a dominant characteristic. Anyone who wasn't born with more than ten fingers is very very recessive.
KharBevNor:
Humanity has not stopped evolving. Humanity simply now has some degree of control over its evolution.
Evolution /= constant 'improvement'. That's a false paradigm. There is no such thing as 'devolution' either. All that is implied is change.
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