UK: Obese woman blames government

[The Mad Monk]

You realize you're using a creationist argument against evolution, right? Confounding quality of life with reproductive success?

[kentonio]

You realize you're using a creationist argument against evolution, right? Confounding quality of life with reproductive success?

No I didn't, I specifically said 'without any resultant advantages' when I mentioned lifespan and only mentioned her quality of life in terms of her reduced access to genetic stock to breed with.

[The Mad Monk]

But there aren't any real disadvantages either, given that she has already reproduced.

You are using a totally subjective and arbitrary definition of failure, here. It doesn't belong in a discussion of natural selection.

[kentonio]

But there aren't any real disadvantages either, given that she has already reproduced.

You are using a totally subjective and arbitrary definition of failure, here. It doesn't belong in a discussion of natural selection.

It doesn't matter if she has reproduced, that's not the only indicator of success. A mutation could cause an organism to reproduce a million times in it's lifetime but if the resultant offspring all die in their first week without reproducing them that's a failure by most peoples measures. Similarly they could reproduce for a thousand generations, but if the end result is an evolutionary dead end, then that's also a failure in my eyes at least.

[kentonio]

Incidentally, ANY definition of failure in evolutionary terms is by its nature subjective.

[Colon™]

But there aren't any real disadvantages either, given that she has already reproduced.

You are using a totally subjective and arbitrary definition of failure, here. It doesn't belong in a discussion of natural selection.

Watch out, he'll call you stupid and accuse you of not knowing what natural selection means outside US context.

[kentonio]

Given that you were using a definition of conservative that only made sense in the US context, it was a fair accusation. Also you are demonstrably stupid. Also **** you.

[Lorizael]

Similarly they could reproduce for a thousand generations, but if the end result is an evolutionary dead end, then that's also a failure in my eyes at least.

This is a very bad definition of failure, because the vast majority of species that have ever lived are now extinct.

[Colon™]

Given that you were using a definition of conservative that only made sense in the US context...

Or UK context. Maybe you should have accused me of being British.

[regexcellent]

Can you guess why this is a really ****ing stupid map?

It's a really simple answer.

[kentonio]

This is a very bad definition of failure, because the vast majority of species that have ever lived are now extinct.

So? Why is it 'very bad' to consider them failures? Also lots of species go extinct for reasons that have very little to do with their evolutionary paths. You can hardly blame evolution for a species that goes extinct because of a meteor hitting the planet for instance.

[kentonio]

Or UK context. Maybe you should have accused me of being British.

No, what you said made no sense in the UK context, which is why I called you on it. Being that I'm from the UK and all.

[Lorizael]

So? Why is it 'very bad' to consider them failures? Also lots of species go extinct for reasons that have very little to do with their evolutionary paths. You can hardly blame evolution for a species that goes extinct because of a meteor hitting the planet for instance.

Because overly inclusive definitions are not productive.

[Colon™]

No, what you said made no sense in the UK context, which is why I called you on it. Being that I'm from the UK and all.

Maybe you're from France and think it's called the UK.

[kentonio]

Because overly inclusive definitions are not productive.

Like anything we babble about on here is productive?