Human race will 'split into two different species'

[daddydirt]

Morlocks rule!

[theknife]

looks like we'll probably need a separate forum section for those of you who wind up in the underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures. i'll talk to Gaz.

[Mazer]

I tend to agree with a theory put forward by Larry Niven on this subject. He suggested that human nature precludes human evolution as the strongest people tend to hazard death in wars to protect those too weak to fight, usually before they've had a chance to add their superior genes to the pool.

[albed]

Wars are seldom very devastating to a population, historical casuality numbers are almost always vastly exaggerated and civilians often fare worse than soldiers. So I'd flush that theory.


Biotechnology will probably steer human evolution in the future imo. Designer babies for the wealthy at first and then for the middle class as it becomes more affordable.

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by albed

Wars are seldom very devastating to a population, historical casuality numbers are almost always vastly exaggerated and civilians often fare worse than soldiers. So I'd flush that theory.


Biotechnology will probably steer human evolution in the future imo. Designer babies for the wealthy at first and then for the middle class as it becomes more affordable.

Niven's explanation may be flawed or incomplete, but there are likely many reasons why humans no longer evolve by means of natural selection and biotechnology is just one of them. In all cases the new motive forces behind human evolution are social rather than biological in nature.

[albed]

Nonsense. You're just as bad as that "top scientist" with no evidence or explanation, just your pronouncement. And biotechnology certainly isn't a "social force" so you're already contradicting yourself.

Society has little or nothing to do with reproduction, it's a fairly personal choice made mostly by women imo, at least in advanced, liberal countries with birth control options. And they're still driven by animal instinct from what I can determine, so they're still selecting for looks, health, wealth, etc. even when it's from a sperm bank. So I really don't see any "social" forces at work. But feel free to elaborate.

[multi]

'advanced', liberal countries?

Wouldn't that would be a contradiction of terms for you albed? Or maybe you are saying there needs to be a balance of liberal and conservative to attain the status of 'advanced' country?

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by multi

'advanced', liberal countries?

Wouldn't that would be a contradiction of terms for you albed? Or maybe you are saying there needs to be a balance of liberal and conservative to attain the status of 'advanced' country?

He means liberal as in free, not liberal as in leftist.

Originally Posted by albed

Nonsense. You're just as bad as that "top scientist" with no evidence or explanation, just your pronouncement. And biotechnology certainly isn't a "social force" so you're already contradicting yourself.

Society has little or nothing to do with reproduction, it's a fairly personal choice made mostly by women imo, at least in advanced, liberal countries with birth control options. And they're still driven by animal instinct from what I can determine, so they're still selecting for looks, health, wealth, etc. even when it's from a sperm bank. So I really don't see any "social" forces at work. But feel free to elaborate.

I will, but what I'm about to write should be obvious.

You're trying to convince me that attraction is the only factor in reproduction because attraction is a product of instinct while society is not, but you're wrong. Societies occur in most classes of vertebrates and in many arthropods, the vast majority of which behave solely out of instinct because they lack the capacity for emotion and intellect. You'll find societies in animals ranging from lions to ants. So society is a product of instinct and as such its purpose is to enhance reproductivity.

Like most people you've gotten into the habit of equating sex and reproduction, but because of birth control we don't have to apply that kind of thinking to ourselves. People use contraceptives when they want to fuck, not when they want to mate. Humans and animals alike fuck out of instinct, but for humans reproduction is a conscious choice. And because we are social creatures our reproductive decisions are deeply affected by social pressure.

I wasn't contradicting myself by saying biotechnology is a social force because I didn't say that biotechnology is a social force. I did say that it is one of many processes that has superseded natural selection and that it is a result of social forcings.

[albed]

Originally Posted by theknife

looks like we'll probably need a separate forum section for those of you who wind up in the underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures. i'll talk to Gaz.

Hmmm, don't you mean "those of us"?

[theknife]

Originally Posted by albed

Hmmm, don't you mean "those of us"?

well, somebody has to be the attractive, intelligent ruling elite. that goblin thing is really not a good look for me.

[albed]

But it's halloween; oh well, the prince valiant look will suit you well enough I suppose.











ga-ay