Humans Have Stopped Evolving

[ben-varrey]

@MKJ

Ah, but we are on the verge of spreading our wings and flying off to other planets. We will be colonising them soon .

We ain’t going extinct anytime soon .

When I hear and view the large-scale destruction humans cause to this planet, I often liken us to locusts: just destroying everything in our path to satiate our wants. Then off to space to no doubt do the same again

[MKJ]

@ben-varrey

What would be the outcome of that if it happened?

Can’t see that causing any probs. All we are messing with is the earth’s crust, which is just a thin layer, or relatively so.

http://worldlywise.pbworks.com/f/1275738164/earthstructure.jpg

[ben-varrey]

Sorry Mark, I forgot to delete the last paragraph of Bruce’s post - I meant what would happen if the poles flip? I watched a film about Absolute Zero and wondered if that could actually happen if the poles shifted too much.

[Mups]

@ben-varrey

When I hear and view the large-scale destruction humans cause to this planet, I often liken us to locusts: just destroying everything in our path to satiate our wants. Then off to space to no doubt do the same again

Precisely how I feel BV. Like I said, man takes, takes, takes, destroying everything precious and beautiful.
When we discover something breathtakingly beautiful, eg. the crystals growing underground, why can’t we be thankful we have the eyes to see these things, why do we have to steal them instead. It’s the same with wild animals, we shoot, or capture or cage them to make money. Thank God man can’t yet control the sea, the weather or air we breathe - yet.
Bit of an illogical rant perhaps, but I know what I mean.

[Mups]

@Seth

I think you will find that extra people, buildings, transport etc are the re distribution of past and present existing physical materials. That the actual weight of the earth has not changed.

Is that what you believe Seth, or what you know? Tell me, in an idiot-proof way, why you think that please.

[MKJ]

@Mups

Is that what you believe Seth, or what you know? Tell me, in an idiot-proof way, why you think that please.

I think what Seth means if you can’t make something outta nothing .

[Mups]

Is this the same as they say about everything is made out of atoms and not really solid at all?

[MKJ]

@Mups

Is this the same as they say about everything is made out of atoms and not really solid at all?

I have no idea . Ask Seth .

[MickB]

@Bruce

Sorry but that shows a complete lack of understanding of the process of evolution.

‘Survival of the fittest’ does not refer to living longer but whether a trait allows an organism to survive better than one without that trait which over time means that those with that trait will tend to reproduce more and those without tend to reproduce less.

It doesn’t matter about living longer because evolution relies on reproduction. Humans don’t reproduce longer but they do currently (in the west) reproduce later which is particularly important for mutation. What effect that will have long term who knows?

Living longer is a red herring and was not the point of my post. The point was that in our modern civilisation (in the West at any rate) not only do the “fittest” survive, so do the “unfittest” and, at present, the “unfittest”, are reproducing at a greater rate than the “fittest.” Hence, the “survival of the fittest” as the motor of evolutionary progress has ceased to function.

[Robert_Junior]

@MickB

Living longer is a red herring and was not the point of my post. The point was that in our modern civilisation (in the West at any rate) not only do the “fittest” survive, so do the “unfittest” and, at present, the “unfittest”, are reproducing at a greater rate than the “fittest.” Hence, the “survival of the fittest” as the motor of evolutionary progress has ceased to function.

A chilling thought, a bit like the UK economy really

[lowfiron]

@Seth

No matter how much drivel is attached to evolution being a fact…one species changing to another… it is still only a theory. as per Darwins’ theory of evolution, adaption is probably more the fact where humans adapted to where they finally settled, With all the accumulated knowledge and wisdom on how to relate to one another we still only wear a veneer of acceptance, as we see by the violence around the world where death is the reward for being different.

Sorry about the cut and paste but it’s quick and dirty. “Only a Theory” holds weight;
“In modern science, the term “theory” refers to scientific theories, a well-confirmed type of explanation of nature, made in a way consistent with scientific method, and fulfilling the criteria required by modern science. Such theories are described in such a way that any scientist in the field is in a position to understand and either provide empirical support (“verify”) or empirically contradict (“falsify”) it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge,[2] in contrast to more common uses of the word “theory” that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which is better defined by the word ‘hypothesis’).[3] Scientific theories are also distinguished from hypotheses, which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and scientific laws, which are descriptive accounts of how nature will behave under certain conditions”

Theory

[lowfiron]

@MickB

Living longer is a red herring and was not the point of my post. The point was that in our modern civilisation (in the West at any rate) not only do the “fittest” survive, so do the “unfittest” and, at present, the “unfittest”, are reproducing at a greater rate than the “fittest.” Hence, the “survival of the fittest” as the motor of evolutionary progress has ceased to function.

Over the long term you are wrong. Like it was said “fittest” has to do with adaptive qualities in individuals. If the environment changes and a certain physical or behavioral trait works in the new environment it has the better chance of survival or recreating.
This works on the level of bacteria and viruses. They constantly mutate and the antibiotics and vaccinations become useless. It’s because they evolve and the adapted trait survives. Different flu shots every year, new antibiotics needed for resistant bacteria.
We are not perfect and humans have not stopped evolving. In event of a catastrophe the better adapted humans will survive or maybe the lucky ones.

Wake up and smell the roses Moses! There are problems that are out stripping the solutions. Particularly in water quality and availability, food production for a increasing over population, climate change, possible volcanic events or a big rock from outer space! If one don’t get ya the other one will! It’s not apocalyptic it’s inevitable.

[lowfiron]

@Mups

Precisely how I feel BV. Like I said, man takes, takes, takes, destroying everything precious and beautiful.
When we discover something breathtakingly beautiful, eg. the crystals growing underground, why can’t we be thankful we have the eyes to see these things, why do we have to steal them instead. It’s the same with wild animals, we shoot, or capture or cage them to make money. Thank God man can’t yet control the sea, the weather or air we breathe - yet.
Bit of an illogical rant perhaps, but I know what I mean.

Smog, acidification of fresh water, pollution of fresh water, over fishing, over grazing, over logging, global warming, it goes on and on. If one don’t get ya the other one will. :shock:

[MKJ]

@lowfiron

Smog, acidification of fresh water, pollution of fresh water, over fishing, over grazing, over logging, global warming, it goes on and on. If one don’t get ya the other one will. :shock:

Cor. What you like when you are drunk :shock: .

:-D:-D:-D

[lowfiron]

Bourbon- Rebel Yell or Jim Beam…much more loquacious. Buy me a boiler maker and you’ll get an ear full. :twisted:

[Mups]

@lowfiron

Smog, acidification of fresh water, pollution of fresh water, over fishing, over grazing, over logging, global warming, it goes on and on. If one don’t get ya the other one will. :shock:

On that happy note I’ll say goodnight folks.

[Bruce]

@ben-varrey

What would be the outcome of that if it happened?

The world would look like this:

[CENTER]http://www.eightforums.com/attachments/general-support/14814d1358142361t-poll-basic-preferences-using-metro-interface-vs-desktop-map-world-upside-down-australia-top.jpg[/CENTER]

[Bruce]

@MickB

Living longer is a red herring and was not the point of my post. The point was that in our modern civilisation (in the West at any rate) not only do the “fittest” survive, so do the “unfittest” and, at present, the “unfittest”, are reproducing at a greater rate than the “fittest.” Hence, the “survival of the fittest” as the motor of evolutionary progress has ceased to function.

I dealt with that too. Read [post=343252]my post[/post] again.

[billsteamshovel]

Humans Have Stopped Evolving

I Haven’t?

[Abby]

@Seth

Hi Mups… where did the extra weight come from.?

Must agree with Mups on that seth:-)

Not only is there more people they are fatter and breed a lot more animals to keep them that way