The weak and stupid survive

[Caligastia]

It used to be only the strong.

How are we going to replace natural selection? It got us where we are today.

I think when we understand the human genome we will be able to get back on the evolutionary road instead of the devolutionary road.

[Asher]

Is this another thread about welfare?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Asher
Is this another thread about welfare?

No, this is about improving the human gene pool.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Caligastia
No, this is about improving the human gene pool.

Some would argue abolishing welfare and government assistance may help that.

[yin26]

Easy. We need to revert to a situation in which nature is allowed to do its work easier. Thus, all we have to do is destroy technology and man-made shelter (houses, office buildings, etc.). Once humanity is again exposed to the elements without advanced tools, he will naturally have to fight for his daily survival once again.

Of course, all computer geeks would die in the first wave of violence. Actually, they'd probably die just at having their computers disconnect in the preparation phase. Then scientists and teachers. No, lawyers first because they'd be trying to sue people for property damage instead of digging bunkers and hording food.

Hate to say it, but women wouldn't fare too well. They'd need to latch on to an Alpha Male and be subservient for a good 500 years until things settle.

Once the slate has been wiped clean in this way, progress will be silky smooth.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Asher

Some would argue abolishing welfare and government assistance may help that.

It would, but that isnt politically feasable, and neither is it humane.

[Starchild]

You want natural selection and evolution back? Forsake technology and live on the savanna-land with 1,000 other people. That gene pool should be small enough and exposed to harsh enough conditions to generate some interesting mutations.

Personally however, I quite like modern civilization. I like pointing out to my anti-technological friends that today's society is the richest, healthiest, best educated, and longest lived society to ever exist in the entire history of our species. We've gotten rid of most forms of natural selection (which is a brutal, harsh form of weeding, where thousands upon thousands die in exchange for a few, small improvements). Cultural, memetic evolution has replaced biological evolution as the driving force behind improvement.

And frankly, that's a good thing.

[ranskaldan]

No..... letting evolution take its course on humankind might help the gene pool in the long run (a million years or so) but in the short term it will be catastrophic!

If you suddenly unplug everything (medical care, welfare etc) which are currently suspending human evolution, the following will happen:

Life Expectancy will plunge to thirty.
All the plagues, like malaria, typhus, bubonic plague, measles, rubella, polio etc will resume wrecking havoc.
Infant Mortality will rise to something like 50%.

The result?

Half of us around here would be dead in a couple of years. All of you (and me) teenagers would be half-way thru life. Thirty and over will be old age. And for every two kids you have one will die before the age of five.

Evolution is dependent on the death of the weaker and the unluckier...
If evolution suddenly resumes in today's world, the consequences on our living standards and societal structure will be catastrophic.


So..... wait out these few thousand years. There's no way the gene pool will degrade by too much. After a few centuries genetic engineering most probably will be employed to continue where evolution left off - to improve the gene pool.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by yin26
Once the slate has been wiped clean in this way, progress will be silky smooth.

You call that progress? Very funny...

[Asher]

Originally posted by yin26
Of course, all computer geeks would die in the first wave of violence. Actually, they'd probably die just at having their computers disconnect in the preparation phase.

Not all computer geeks only have computer skills, you know.

I spent I-Don't-Know-How-Many years in the Boy Scouts, I go camping out in the mountains quite a bit with friends for a night, and I used to play Baseball and Soccer (competitively) before moving back to The Empire a a few years ago.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Starchild
You want natural selection and evolution back?

NO! I am talking about how we will be able to manipulate the human genome to our advantage when the tech gets advanced enough.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by ranskaldan
So..... wait out these few thousand years. There's no way the gene pool will degrade by too much. After a few centuries genetic engineering most probably will be employed to continue where evolution left off - to improve the gene pool.

YES! That is exactly what I am talking about!

[yin26]

I spent I-Don't-Know-How-Many years in the Boy Scouts.

I stand corrected. The skills you gained for your Knot Tying merit badge would allow you to make an escape rope out of bed sheets to flee your burning house.

Once safely on the ground, you'd be busy about the process of setting up a tent made of dirty linen when a hockey dad bonks you on your head to steal your loafers. At which point, we lose track of exactly what happens to you...

[Asher]

Originally posted by yin26
I stand corrected. The skills you gained for your Knot Tying merit badge would allow you to make an escape rope out of bed sheets to flee your burning house.

Once safely on the ground, you'd be busy about the process of setting up a tent made of dirty linen when a hockey dad bonks you on your head to steal your loafers. At which point, we lose track of exactly what happens to you...

I'm not sure what to make of that.

But I'm not any worse off than the vast majority of urban dwellers these days.

It's a harsh stereotype everyone gives computer geeks. You'd be quite surprised how athletic some of them are. Some are even sociable.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Caligastia You call that progress? Very funny...

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic