Viewing Thread:
"Evolution"

Evolution happens. We've won't see it in humans in our lifetime, it's too slow, but we've seen it happen with other species with much shorter life times. I remember reading about a type of fish only found in underwater caves. They live in complete darkness, and it has been proved that they were previously much like another type of fish, but now they no longer had eyes, and had developed a different sense to let them know what was around them, probably a bit like bats. They didn't use their eyes, so they lost them.

So evolution is a 'use it or lose it' policy then. We'll adapt to the way the world changes, and develop into different creatures, over time.

Does that mean with the sun getting ever hotter, we will adapt to cope with this through the ages? Possibly.

I believe that as a whole the human race are doing less and less for themselves. Everything is automated. I don't have to think about how to multiply two numbers together, my calculator will do it for me. I don't have to worry about my spelling, my spell checker will pick up on it. Does all of this automation mean we are using our brains less? Does this mean that it will be decided that we don't actually need certain parts of our brain, and we will lose them, and become, basically, stupider?

Is this already blatently obvious? There are so many stupid people out there today, and shocking levels of ignorance. This is absolutely incredible, considering the information we have around us, and it's ease of access.

Any thoughts?

loki wrote:
> I think we have to accept the possibility that there is, > as yet, no satisfying explanation of George W Bush.

What worries me the most about that man is that he would be a genetic oddity if you found spasming in a gutter somewhere. The fact that we encountered a specimen so rare as the American President, no less, proves incontrovertably that the American Dream is well and truly alive. So long as you were born in America, even the top job can be yours. Admittedly his father was a former President, but I think that pretty much backs up my last point...

Do you think it's possible that George W, is a clone of George Sr? They said they hadn't refined the technique enough to use it on humans yet, but would he listen....

misterhappy wrote:
> Is it not true that evolution has stopped?

I don't think we will lose parts of brains
> through systematic underuse, because surely that is in the same vein as
> lemarck.. I'm treading on thin ice because I'm not entirely au fait with
> genetics, but i believe he cut the tails off generation after generation of mice
> to prove that the mice would not suddenly stop growing tails because there was
> no point.

Yep, I think the Lamarkian theory of evolution was that traits aquired in a life time could be passed on through the generations. e.g. If a mummy giraffe kept stretching to reach leaves and her neck became stronger and longer, this would be passed on to her baby. Of course, traits developed in a lifetime are not passed on, only those contained with in the sex cells which are not modified by environment.

Some have argued that as human have a system to do everything for them and machies to look after them evolution will stop but it is believed that evolution is not directed towards a goal but due to random mutations. Random mutations will never stop so we will always be capable of evolution but certainly a lot of the pressures of natural selection have been removed (so the changes may become less drastic or less advantageous).

So, I think the removal of a degree of natural selection could potentially lead to a 'relaxing of standards' which could end up as something like George W. Bush. But it would probably take thousands and thousands of years. I think we have to accept the possibility that there is, as yet, no satisfying explanation of George W Bush.

Have you ever tried cocking your leg whilst in the *ejecting* position?!

What I want to know is: why don't dogs tinkle whilst ejecting the brown stuff.

*Forces himself not to try and disprove evolution*

"Bashes head on keyboard in process*

:D

Excuse my ignorance, but isn't it supposed to take millions of years for things to evolve?

Surely 30 or so years of Health & Safety haven't dis-proved that?!

You may be onto something there YH.
It is a certainty that those with kids do appear to be the slack-jawed tv-babies that shouldn't be allowed to go near children, let alone have their own.

(Not all parents, just those ones we've all seen wandering high streets and smoking outside McDonalds)

We do have more stupid people around at the moment. Why?

Becuase of health and safety.

There's now less accidents, and accidents are natures way of getting rid of stupid people.

Back in the Victorian days, if you were stupid and had an accident, you fell into the machine or whatever and you died. No kids = less stupid people.

Nowadays stupid people don't have much to do, so they just stay at home and breed. While the less stupid are out getting jobs and careers, and don't have time/don't want to have kids.

Therefore:

The number of stupid people grows.

Is it not true that evolution has stopped?

Survival of the fittest? I'm not so sure. We are no longer eliminating minor defects as they do not inhibit your ability to reproduce. In fact virtually any genetic fault, other than a reproductive one can be passed on.

I don't think we will lose parts of brains through systematic underuse, because surely that is in the same vein as lemarck.. I'm treading on thin ice because I'm not entirely au fait with genetics, but i believe he cut the tails off generation after generation of mice to prove that the mice would not suddenly stop growing tails because there was no point. I don't think that links directly, but if I knew more about this I would pursue that line of Argument.

I think we may be left to evolve as many other species have through the miscopying of DNA. The only problem is that unless the change in gene made you spectacularly attractive it wouldn't be passed on through reproduction. It's a sad state when evolution is to be based entirely on appearence.

Still doesn't explain George Bush though...

Yep and I want to get in on this before it turns into the religious camp in one corner and the evolutionists in the other.

I agree with the "use it or lose it" statement.
And I do think that over time, we will lose large portions of our brains simply because it's no longer required.

Shame really, but you can see it happening already.
Look at George W Bush for the way we're headed,
"We're going after those folks and we're gonna smoke 'em out"
We have arrived at that, when only 40 years ago JFK said "Ask not what your country do for you, ask what you can do for your country"