Humans can't evolve.

[Fire Daemon]

Humanity is evolving. The average height two hundred years ago was a lot smaller then the standard height today.

Survival of the Fittest is gone (for now...) but that doesn't mean we are not changing as a species.

What about the average height four or five THOUSAND years ago? What about all the stories about giants, and the giant-sized stuff that archiologists (sp) keep digging up? What about documentation in ancient texts about giants?

I'm not saying you're 100% wrong, or that's there's no way you could be right, but I think you're making one big blanket statement. Qualify that sucker.

Certainly good sir. The buildings built by the Australian colonists around 1788 (especially Captain Cooks house) require an average height person to bend their head as they enter the house. The height of the roof is much lower than the height of modern homes. According to the guide all houses built during this time where this height. Maybe not the best example of height change over time but better then giant-sized stuff archaeologists have found... I've never heard of giant sized stuff.

Besides, as Alex_P has said its probably due to changes in diet and increases in nutrition.

 

[Xvito]

I can evolve... I'm a Pokémon.

 

[LOOY]

We already know that this will work because we have thousands of years of practice on dogs

Aren't Pedigree dogs generally drooling morons who look nice but aren't really useful for much else (they're 'fey' for lack of a better term) whereas mongrels are tough, hardy and can take punishment? Forgive me if I'm wrong, my expertise on dog breeding isn't that incredible, but I was under the impression that generally pedigree dogs are there for show whereas mongrel dogs are more useful for actual tasks that matter.

As for humanity evolving...do we need to? I fully endorse any sort of evolution which will give me a planet which has catgirl humanoids running around, be it via freak accident or forced genetic manipulation (however one would do that, again, not an expert). Besides my slightly creepy fetish however, what cause do we have to evolve? Yeah we could be stronger, faster, smarter etc. but what's the point? Why bother?

Pedigrees are inbreds, your right, mongrols are much better.

 

[D0WNT0WN]

Honestly that sounds something like Hitler would say.

 

[Labyrinth]

Honestly that sounds something like Hitler would say.

Nah. He'd be talking about how the Escapist is a Jewish construct to enslave the minds of pure Germans.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

Humanity is evolving. The average height two hundred years ago was a lot smaller then the standard height today.

Survival of the Fittest is gone (for now...) but that doesn't mean we are not changing as a species.

What about the average height four or five THOUSAND years ago? What about all the stories about giants, and the giant-sized stuff that archiologists (sp) keep digging up? What about documentation in ancient texts about giants?

I'm not saying you're 100% wrong, or that's there's no way you could be right, but I think you're making one big blanket statement. Qualify that sucker.

Those giants and the bones that are being dug up belong to large animals, not ancient humans:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Fossil-Hunters-Paleontology-Times/dp/0691058636

I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that people were finding artifacts that looked as though they were designed for much larger men than present-day people.

 

[Zersy]

Since the current escapist fad is on gender and species I think this is fitting.

Humans can' evolve, we have too many people with too many random genes able to breed. Even when inferior humans would die off, medical science saves them so they can breed and spread their stupid throughout humanity.

The only way Humanity will evolve to be stronger, faster, smarter etc is to force the World's best and brightest to breed in an enclosed environment for several generations until we have a race of better people that can spread their favourable genes through out the gene pool. We already know that this will work because we have thousands of years of practice on dogs so all we need is public approval which won't happen, why won't the public approval?

The public won't approve because ethics and morals are geting in the way of progress; progress which could be easily made if we stop letting people breed with who ever they want rather than who is best for humanity.

I post this knowing full well that I will be flamed/banned but just know that when you whine your loss of faith in humanity, it is because you don't support forced breeding.

there's no point since we are all ready a supeiror breed only thing that makes us dumb or inferior is us not acting like a species

Bottom Line

we stopped evolving about a few 100 years ago we have come to our Peak in evoltion so even if we do let smart people hump other smart people you only get a people.

unless there's a nuclear holocaust where we have to start evolving again

 

[Infinitebat]

Humans are evolving just not in the way you might think. Evolution is not the continual progression of a species to be better, stronger faster etc but rather to better suit their current environment. The humans current environment has very few selection pressures and as such many new genes and mutations that would normally not survive if expressed to reproduce now can. This means the human gene pool is slowly increasing and in this way better preparing the species for any future selection pressures that could occur and thus is evolving.

If breeding was restricted to only the best and brightest many people with mutations that render them weaker would be excluded and as illogical as it sounds the human race would be weaker because of it. The perfect example of this is the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia. This causes the person to have difficulty getting enough oxygen into their blood making them unable to perform strenuous exercise as well as numerous other disadvantages. This mutation however also offers the advantage that the person with it is highly resistant to malaria and can easily survive with this disease that kills most people who contract it. In a similar way human survival may depend upon many of the 'weaker' genes you would seek to remove

 

[mooncalf]

Evolution is not something that stops. It is a reaction to the forces which act upon us. If I recall correctly an article I read not long ago, humans are not the fastest evolving creatures, that distinction belongs to a distinguished old lizard called the Tuatara. Even then the rate is pretty damn sluggish.

 

[the captain]

Humanity is evolving. The average height two hundred years ago was a lot smaller then the standard height today.

Survival of the Fittest is gone (for now...) but that doesn't mean we are not changing as a species.

What about the average height four or five THOUSAND years ago? What about all the stories about giants, and the giant-sized stuff that archiologists (sp) keep digging up? What about documentation in ancient texts about giants?

I'm not saying you're 100% wrong, or that's there's no way you could be right, but I think you're making one big blanket statement. Qualify that sucker.

Those giants and the bones that are being dug up belong to large animals, not ancient humans:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Fossil-Hunters-Paleontology-Times/dp/0691058636

I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that people were finding artifacts that looked as though they were designed for much larger men than present-day people.

Yeah that was probably in the Christian Science Monitor or some other Creationist puesdo-science bullshit thing that mis-states facts to prove Goliath was real and therefore every word in the bible is complete fact.

 

[Labyrinth]

we stopped evolving about a few 100 years ago we have come to our Peak in evoltion so even if we do let smart people hump other smart people you only get a people.

unless there's a nuclear holocaust where we have to start evolving again

Evolution doesn't HAVE an end point. That's the whole deal. It's a continuous genetic process.

 

[Infinitebat]

Simple science as to why giants don't and have never existed. If you got a person and made them twice as large in every dimension they would have 8 times the volume and only 4 times the surface area. Because of this lack of surface area the cells would not be able to get rid of enough excess heat and the giant would die of overheating.

 

[Labyrinth]

Simple science as to why giants don't and have never existed. If you got a person and made them twice as large in every dimension they would have 8 times the volume and only 4 times the surface area. Because of this lack of surface area the cells would not be able to get rid of enough excess heat and the giant would die of overheating.

That's not true actually. 'Giant' creatures have lived in the past. It's more a matter of the homeostasis mechanisms evolving with them over time. Bone density is another important issue, which is why these are gradual changes rather than instantaneous ones. Doubling a creatures body size implies that you double their bone size, but the density thereof remains standard. The bones would be unable to stand up to the load.

 

[whitelye]

Damn, Infinitebat is getting hella scientific on us. As to the question of or, rather, statement that we can't evolve the way we are, I would ask you first whether you really understand what drives evolution and since I don't want to wait for your answer, I'll tell you.

Evolution is driven by the environment. That is it. What is in the environment and how it is structured is what drives evolution. It's a simple case of cause and effect. When the shit hits the fan, it's the people with the umbrellas that come away clean and move on with their existence.

We don't need to evolve and that's why we've got all these... different people. When the time comes, we will evolve. Or we'll die. Whatever works.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Ever tried that as a pickup line?

Trust me, despite the implied flattery you just end up squeaking your own Gauntlet yet again.

 

[notascleverasithinkiam]

I believe humans are still evolving, however since it's such a slow process and our environment is changing so quickly, it would be unbelievably difficult to actually measure this change. Just look at our technological vs. Biological evolution in the last 1-2 million years. We have gone from hunter gatherers living in caves to the modern lifestyle and all that that entails, however in terms of physical changes there is quite little difference (which is why we are all growing obese with our now-abundant food supply). As our technological advancement increases, I think that the only real evolution will be either self-created via cybernetic implants, if you can call that evolution, or total physical deterioration when the robots are doing all our work.

 

[Mathew952]

S
Humans can' evolve, we have too many people with too many random genes able to breed. Even when inferior humans would die off, medical science saves them so they can breed and spread their stupid throughout humanity.

The only way Humanity will evolve to be stronger, faster, smarter etc is to force the World's best and brightest to breed in an enclosed environment for several generations until we have a race of better people that can spread their favourable genes through out the gene pool

This sounds awfully firmiliar...
cough*Nazis* cough

 

[ioxles]

Hey everyone, watch this and see what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB81L9zGLjE&feature=related

It might change your mind about evolution.