|
Freethought & Rationalism ArchiveThe archives are read only. |
05-17-2002, 11:46 AM
|
#1 |
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Bulgaria
Posts: 68
|
Human evolution: what's next?
I was just wondering if humans as a species are going to evolve. As far as I know evolution is the result of changes caused in organisms as they adapt to their surrounding environment. But humans don't need to adapt to their surrounding environment anymore. Instead they change the environment to fit their needs. Of course, we have the global warming and other things that are beyond the control of humankind but... Any ideas?
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 12:52 PM
|
#2 |
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Yes, I have dyslexia. Sue me.
Posts: 6,508
|
My take? We aren't indigenous to this planet and never were and the creatures our mythologies refer to as "gods" and "angels of light" are closer to what we initially were, so for us, the evolutionary process will just be a DNA programmed jettison of matter-dependence, resulting in a "spiritual" appearance of shimmering energy states so popular in just about every Science Fiction story ever written; the ultimate endgame of mind over matter (coincidentally denoted by the ancient greeks with the letters "psi" and "phi" for "psyche/physus"--pardon my spelling).
That or we'll all just keep getting fatter until we die off. |
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 02:24 PM
|
#3 | |
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4,261
|
Quote:
I think it's important to remember that /adapting to the surrounding environment' such as climate is only one facet of evolution. How about sexual selection and competition? Surely modern medicine, hygiene, heat and air conditioning, etc has made it such that humans are advancing too quickly for evolution to keep up. But ask this same question in, oh about 50,000 years, and we may have a better idea if we are evolving or not in any detectable way right now. I don't recommend waiting around though! scigirl [ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: scigirl ]</p> |
|
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 02:54 PM
|
#4 |
|
Regular Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: midwest
Posts: 438
|
I wonder if increased fertility and an earlier puberty aren't in the cards for us. Being able to have more offspring would usually be favored by natural selection. Especially since we can easily provide food and shelter.
|
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 03:02 PM
|
#5 |
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Tallahassee
Posts: 1,301
|
Well what happens to evolution when everyone lives?
Thats the answer we're going find out here pretty soon. I would care guess we're less then 1000 years from immortality barring the unforseen. Damn it. I'm about 1000 years too early. Sucks for us. |
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 03:56 PM
|
#6 | |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 737
|
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
05-17-2002, 05:47 PM
|
#7 |
|
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
<a href="http://www.transhumanism.org/resources/faq.html" target="_blank">A Transhumanist FAQ</a>
Thought I'd share. [ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: m.e.h. ]</p> |
|
05-17-2002, 06:29 PM
|
#8 |
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Just another hick from the sticks.
Posts: 1,108
|
It seems to me that evolution never stops for any species including our own. The forces driving it may certainly change.
It almost makes me wish for reencarnation. In 50,000 years (assuming that we haven't blown ourselves away far earlier), I suspect that Homo sapiens would be a much different creature than today. This thought opens the door to a LOT of speculation, much of it in the fantasy department, which I'll show mercy and not go into. Welcome! d |
|
|
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
