Human species 'may split in two'

[Dis]

I don't really want to go into why this is not going to happen for scientific reasons (already discussed above)

There are too many variables in modern society. It doesn't take much for some schlub to become rich in the U.S. We have lottery, sports stars, gambling, crime etc. And while old trashy habits die hard, over generations the money will improve the status of that lineage.

And then you have some rich old white guy that marries the dumbest broad on earth because she's friggin hot!! Even poor families can churn out a good looker every now and then. So the genes merge etc.

If this ever were to happen, it would have happened 1000 or more years ago when the class system was much more prevalent. Most societies had slaves. Where are these slaves today? Are they another species? no. Even if there were some IQ differences (and some scientists do claim iq differences between races), mixed marriages merge all these genes into one.

so as I said, with the class system gone, there is nothing stopping some rich white guy from marrying some lower class chick because she's hot. I even saw a case of a 24 year old man marrying a 84 year old woman (she just recently died). I'm not sure of both of their social status though. He may have been wealthy (doubtful ).

[Sarxis]

I don't want to be an Eloi, nor a Morlock for that matter.

[Q Classic]

BadScience.net
Idiocracy (Scary/funny, but not as good as Office Space).
Bad science (Intelligent Design, this...)

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Dis


And then you have some rich old white guy that marries the dumbest broad on earth because she's friggin hot!! Even poor families can churn out a good looker every now and then. So the genes merge etc.

If this ever were to happen, it would have happened 1000 or more years ago when the class system was much more prevalent. Most societies had slaves. Where are these slaves today? Are they another species? no. Even if there were some IQ differences (and some scientists do claim iq differences between races), mixed marriages merge all these genes into one.

so as I said, with the class system gone, there is nothing stopping some rich white guy from marrying some lower class chick because she's hot. I even saw a case of a 24 year old man marrying a 84 year old woman (she just recently died). I'm not sure of both of their social status though. He may have been wealthy (doubtful ).

Actually in a society with a very rigid class system you would likely have the lord spreading his seed among the "lower classes" quite frequently.


Take it today and you still have lots of shorter people that are smart (socially and academically). Add that to lots of people that are super hot but who are dumb as posts. The example of the old guy wanting the dumb blond-- Do we think that won't exist a 1000 or even 5000 years from now? Reagardless of what happens to be considered attractive I cannot see people ever exercising selection to the point that no one wants to bang the super attractive chick becuase she is dumb


This was ok for a hoot but would anyone ever take it serious

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


Sounds kinda like the run up to the French Revolution. The Aristos were tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative, a far cry above the peasantry. But then, suddenly, they went extinct.

They became shorter at the same time.

[Aeson]

If we just went on breeding... it would happen eventually. (Though what the different species would end up like is anyone's guess).

But that won't happen. Long before that point we will have the ability to genetically engineer children... and so we'll have the ability to break up into various species even quicker, and with much larger variation. Not sure if it will happen, but it defitely could.

(Ok... it will happen. Especially at the point where people can change their own genetic structure. My prediction is the first new species is a "furry" and the mutation quickly becomes a fad for social rejects.)

[Starchild]

Ah. Articles like this make my little biochemist brain hurt.

We'll hit the Singularity long before nature gets a chance to split us off into different species. We'll probably do it ourselves.

[Aeson]

Actually, I have to retract my prediction. Furries aren't the most technically gifted group out there... I think anime will beat them to the punch.

Big eyes and tentacles...

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Starchild
Ah. Articles like this make my little biochemist brain hurt.

We'll hit the Singularity long before nature gets a chance to split us off into different species. We'll probably do it ourselves.

For more wild speculation, which version of the singularity do you think it will be?

[Starchild]

Ah, who knows. Since actually getting into proper science and understanding what we know and can do, and more importantly what we can't, I've become less enraptured by the Techno-Rapture.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Dis
It doesn't take much for some schlub to become rich in the U.S. We have lottery, sports stars, gambling, crime etc.

It's another sign of America's decay that Dis didn't even think to add "work hard & save money" to his list of how to become rich in America.

[Straybow]

Re: Human species 'may split in two'

Originally posted by BeBro
Maybe it's just me, but this sounds like charlatanry

Oh, and - discuss

No, not worth it.

Barely worth a +1

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
I haven't studied biology or evolution beyond two university anthropology courses and high school sciences but this article is utterly ridiculous even to those who only know a little about evolution.

well it's pretty ridiculous to make any predictions for how things will be in a 1000 years time. that's not to say you can't have some fun with it.

[Berzerker]

The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.

Like the Watusi and Neandertals?

Dont worry, guys dont think with their brains when spying little girls with bad intent. Smart men in the future will be banging dumb broads just like they do now

[Blake]

This actually will happen for sure.

At least minimally, there will be a class of people who refuse gene-tweaking for "philosophical" reasons. People who remain true to that paradigm will refuse to bear children with those who don't.
There will probably also be the soft-core version who only accept strictly medicinal tweaks - or there may even be laws which enforce medicinal tweaks (probably making any sub population which abstains from them non-sustaining).

The idea of some of humanity actually DEvolving is ludicrous. Or at least "Only in America", countries with socialized healthcare will make gene-tweaks to eliminate hereditary illness from newborns universally available.