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Human evolution

By: Qwaider

On:Sunday, January 25, 2009 10:58:21 PM
In:Thoughts
Viewed: (4622) times

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I'm one of the people who believe in the theory of evolution, and think of this last leaf on the whole tree as being the interesting but so far dead-end humans.

But have we really stagnated? Are we really stuck? We might be orchestrating the tools of our own demise by massively suppressing the natural selection method and allowing individuals that would otherwise die to live, but not only that to procreate and with that we reintroduce weak elements into our pretty much stagnating gene pool.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions; NO, I'm NOT turning Nietzschian.

For the first time in the history of this evolution tree (that we know of), a species have mustered the knowledge to defy natural laws. Weak and sickly individuals are being allowed to go on living and have offspring who inherit their own weaknesses.

Compassion isn't necessarily limited to humans, animals have been seen performing amazing feats of compassion. So that's nothings special. What is special is that humans are the first species to actually have the technology and knowledge to save people's lives who would otherwise not stand a chance

Let's face it, nature is tough. It's painfully brutal. It doesn't have any do-overs, it has no mercy, it's ruthless and very basic. You're either "fit" to be alive and procreate. Or not. For the vast majority of the species, only the best, strongest or most adapted is allowed to procreate and pass on their genes to future generations.

But Nature is wrong in the way it handles "selection", we "humans" think we can do better. We appear to have a different plan. Every human life is worth a lot to us. Even if it's barely being recognized as human.

For us, it has worked very well. Imagine what would the world be without Helen Keller, Stephan Hawking, Taha Hussein and all the less fortunate humans that might not be natures first selection for survival. It seems that we have gone along a new path of evolution that is not completely "natural"

This path appears to be going along the evolution of the brain and intellectual power, the collective intellect of the human race. We're maturing and evolving collectively as a race. Instead of individuals.

Think of this as the evolution from single cell to multi-cell organisms. It took the better part of 3 billion years to happen on this planet, it's only started to happen for humans pretty recently. As we get more interconnected and our thoughts appear to be travelling faster than we could ever imagine. Ideas are being exchanged in seconds instead of months or years like they have been for all our time on this planet.

I see the future as having more of this interconnection and instant ready access to the whole human knowledge. Phones are going to disappear in favor of 24 hour access devices that communicate more than voice. But data and soon senses and emotions will be transferrable through these devices that would likely be embedded into our own brains. Soon the lines between human and machines would be so blurred that you wouldn't know where they start and where they end.

This is all made possible by research that is in part assisted by breakthroughs in synthetic/artificial limbs, somehow work that is there to defy nature and give new life to humans who are incapable of surviving on their own is in part responsible for our own human evolution, into something way more than the first Homosapien to walk the face of this planet 40,000 years ago.

Apparently, humans are very satisfied with what they have and are not looking for nature's help in evolving more. This next evolution is going to be human driven and human executed. it's taking the human race a lot less time than the time it takes nature, and it's going to go in the direction that we want it to go in.

Let's just hope that we don't end up regretting it.

Memories....

#1
Nizar
Said
On: 1/26/2009 12:15:14 AM
SpamScore=[0.91]

We can not save the weak Humans, we think that we can but we are wrong, all we do it temporarily hide them amongst us.

Sooner or later our planet will get over populated and we will ALL pay the price for the emotional decisions that we have taken.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

#2
Qwaider
Said
On: 1/26/2009 12:43:48 AM
SpamScore=[-48.01]

Every human life is worth saving. Many disabled people changed the face of this planet for all of us. They literally carried their own weight
Nietzsche and other lunatics thinking that we can evolve somehow to a super species are absolutely wrong and completely inhuman. The minute we deny our "weaker" elements is the day we lose our humanity.

Humanity as a race is facing a lot of challenges, and we must depend more on our technology to save us. By discovering more renewable resources and better managing our exhaustible ones. Then, we might venture into new frontiers. New planets, colonies elsewhere in the solar system. Earth will eventually grow too small for us anyway. With or without our challenged brethren

Just imagine the world now without Albert Einstein (had a learning disability) or Stephan Hawking (who needs a computer to speak) while his mind is working and making a difference in all our lives.
Not everything can be blamed on "emotional decisions", we are human beings and emotions are part of our fabric of existence. Removing them, turns us into mindless computer programs. With no ethics, morals or values. What value would life has without the "softer" skills in it?

#3
Nizar
Said
On: 1/26/2009 12:58:41 AM
SpamScore=[-0.11]

I am a selfish person and I admit it, I do whatever I do just because I feel good doing it.

I am nice to you simply because I want to satisfy my social needs.

We are all selfish, we just fake that we give a shit to improve our image among other people around us, which will lead us to better social positions and more satisfactions.

Out of the following people who would you save:
A. Your Brother.
B. 5 of your best friends.
C. 50 of Qwaider's blogging community.
D. 500 Indian Children.

The world is a better place today thanks to the people that you have named, but will the positive impact equal the negative impact that they have created on the long run? remember the butterfly effect, that's a question that only time can answer.

On a side note, If you think that we Humans will ever move to another planet, you are most likely wrong, The conditions of the planets in our solar system do not suit us at all and the closest star to our solar system is 4 light years away!

#4
Qwaider
Said
On: 1/26/2009 1:51:14 AM
SpamScore=[-38.5]

I'm going to be selfish and say, I would save everyone.
Not everyone is completely selfish, however, we need to self preserve. That's life attribute. Saving others when there's nothing in it for us (as in practicing medicine for example) is a human attribute. Sacrificing life for others is a noble thing... While sacrificing life for an ideal is the highest form of sacrifice, one that is super high on the moral scale
As for suitable human settlement, ever heard of Terra-Firma? That's what we're planning to do. We have done it to this planet, and chances are we can do it on other places as well. Even without doing that there are many academic programs right now researching extended human settlement on the Moon, Mars, moons of Jupiter and even some asteroids and space stations. If there is anything you can count on is human ingenuity and resolve. We work best under pressure and chances are if we were faced with a disaster we would do whatever it takes to ensure our continued existence (and probably our ecosphere) this might mean creating something similar to Noah's ark for planet earth. It's definitely doable in today's technology. So imagine our potential in 1000 years from now

Anyway, not everyone is selfish (or let's say, as selfish), that's what I wanted to say. But it does explain a whole lot about where you get your ideas from, don't take this in a negative way though

#5
Nizar
Said
On: 1/26/2009 2:25:27 AM
SpamScore=[-0.13]

I disagree with you simply because I have a different mentality and understanding of the world and not because your argument is false.

Your argument is a valid one but I just don't share it with you, I prefer being honest at least with myself, when I do something good I do it because I want to and not because some higher consciousness wants me to do it and will punish me if I don't.

I do not see this as something negative, It has taught me to value life know the fact that I most likely won't live any other one.

When it comes to space travel everything is possible, 500 years ago people thought it was impossible for man to walk on the moon and they were wrong, there are possibilities and technology will unlock more possibilities for us in the future but realistically speaking our bodies are built physically and biologically to live on this planet, any slight change in the environment around us can and will result in our extinction.

Today, we are not even able to protect African children from starvation and diseases when it costs less than 5 dollars per month for each child and we are already plotting mass-migrations to other galaxies.

#6
Qwaider
Said
On: 1/26/2009 3:25:52 AM
SpamScore=[-38.51]

If that makes you feel honest with yourself, don't think for a moment that other aren't as honest with themselves and others when they say that they're willing to sacrifice everything for another human (even a disabled one) to live. It's honorable and noble
Now honor and nobility have nothing to do with religion and many people don't do these things because they are expecting a reward somewhere, it's going out of their way out of a human obligation sense. Supreme beings just "reassure" people that their sacrifices are not in vein and that there is a reward waiting for them. Basically giving them hope. Something most atheists don't have and therefore they turn pessimistic and negative most of the time. Not to say anything bad about them or anything

Now, as for humans living in space, I agree that we are best adapted to live on this planet. But somehow we managed to invade environments that are considered alien and not very hospitable to life let alone, Human life. We managed to survive, and flourish. I think we'll find ways to deal with it.

As for African kids, I think the issue is more political than economical. We have the means, and we have the excess resources. Only problem is that this excess is being thrown in the ocean to keep its prices instead of using it to save people's lives. There are also these tyrannical systems in most of Africa which will deny food and medicines from their enemies. To put it simply, it's more than just not having enough.
Finally, having issues here doesn't mean in any way that we stop our quest to higher understanding of our world. There're 8 billions of us on this planet, I'm sure we can have people work on more than one problem at the same time :)

#7
KJ
Said
On: 1/26/2009 7:29:12 AM
SpamScore=[0.11]

I am so proud of you Nizar, you just practiced the separate reality thing!

Bravo :D

Now back to topic:

Our evolution is pretty much accelerating. Have you read Brave New World? It's a novel written 100 years ago and it pretty much describes our current state!

I think that the human imagination is so vast and creative that it BEGS to be realized! And we are doing our best to do that. Our desire creates a necessity to invent the technology to make concrete of such desire!

Regarding Nizar's selfishness and selflessness, actually Qwaider, he is right on one thing. And you're right too from except you're looking at it differently. Our psychology is wired so we do what makes us feel good ourselves. Your doctor argument is a good one, but get a doctor who fails to help a patient and he or she ends up in shambles. Saving lives make us feel good. If the doctor is a bit mental and he or she takes pleasure in killing people, you get your psychopaths!

So we are all selfish, but what we normally label selfish is not our pre-wired sense of worthiness. It's the other stuff we see in our social life. Our wired selfish egos are as natural as people having eyes and a face and whatever physical attributes, so we don't focus on it. Unless it is absent (which is what you called people being emotionless etc)

#8
Nizar
Said
On: 1/26/2009 9:18:43 PM
SpamScore=[-0.21]

KJ: It seems that we both accept the idea of different realities but we understand it in different ways :)

#9
Marvin the Martian
Said
On: 1/28/2009 4:30:45 AM
SpamScore=[-0.09]

Artificial telepathy, though inevitable, will be regarded by some as a tremendous invasion of privacy. Depending on how it's implemented and who governs the network, it may be a short step to mind control. That will be interesting to watch.

The ability of a society to support "weaker" individuals and to allow them to procreate is directly dependent on the acquisition and efficient use of resources. When resources become scarce, society's willingness and ability to support those individuals will rapidly diminish. One may even witness an implementation of some form of eugenics.