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  #31 (permalink)  
Old 12-October-2006, 12:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Ronald Brak View Post
(And no, banjo playing is not genetic.)
There's no truth to the idea that Banjo Playing is a sign of low intelligence or inbreeding!!! I didn't marry my brother or even my uncle. Yet I taught myself the banjo, played in a bluegrass band, and even won a prize!!! And p.s., I took one of those Mensa tests and it said I was smart enough to join, so there.
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  #32 (permalink)  
Old 12-October-2006, 12:52 AM
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We will continue to evolve even if our planet does not change. We will evolve based on whatever criteria are used to decide who has babies. Currently, we are evolving by social pressures.
It's like this: the intelligent people know that the world is overpopulated and that they're doing the planet a favor by not reproducing. The, um, not so perceptive people go ahead and have as many kids as they can afford (or more).

So are we evolving into a less intelligent/perceptive species?
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Old 12-October-2006, 05:10 AM
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Gillianren Gillianren is offline
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This may be true biologically, but perhaps when someone uses the word 'devolve" they are talking about things that we humans pride ourselves on, like "intelligence". If a new race of humans were to somehow lose that characteristic, us regular humans would say that they "devolved".
Maybe; it's still wrong.
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Old 12-October-2006, 05:19 AM
Ronald Brak Ronald Brak is offline
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It's like this: the intelligent people know that the world is overpopulated and that they're doing the planet a favor by not reproducing. The, um, not so perceptive people go ahead and have as many kids as they can afford (or more).

So are we evolving into a less intelligent/perceptive species?
Not really, or at least there is no real evidence for this so far. In general as societies get richer women have less children and have them later. This process starts with the richer people and spreads to the poorer people, not leaving much time for a large difference in reproduction rates. In addition the correlation between wealth and intelligence isn't necessarily very strong. A low IQ plumber, sports star, trust fund kid or politician can still have a lot of money.
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Old 12-October-2006, 03:39 PM
farmerjumperdon farmerjumperdon is offline
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Read this book, it's educational if depressing. It starts back in the dinosaur days and goes all the way to the day Earth gets crisped. Like I said... depressing!!
I'm not sure I'd call one pessimists opinion of how things might unfold educational; and would not be depressed by reading it. IMO, yes strictly my opinion, the more pressure to survive, the more valuable the big brain becomes.
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Old 12-October-2006, 04:31 PM
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This may be true biologically, but perhaps when someone uses the word 'devolve" they are talking about things that we humans pride ourselves on, like "intelligence". If a new race of humans were to somehow lose that characteristic, us regular humans would say that they "devolved".

In Stephen Baxter's EVOLUTION, future humans do "devolve". A worldwide catastrophe causes ecosystem collapse, and in a time of worldwide starvation, the large brain becomes a liability (because it requires so much nutrition). Intelligence goes by the wayside and man's descendants go back to being a species of ape.

Read this book, it's educational if depressing. It starts back in the dinosaur days and goes all the way to the day Earth gets crisped. Like I said... depressing!!

I would think that if resources were scarce then the clever ones get the most. Why do you think we rose to the top of the food chain?
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Old 12-October-2006, 09:01 PM
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I think all genetic organisms evolved to fulfill every niche that would possibly support life. As life evolves, I forsee a time when life itself has evolved to fulfill ever nich.

So far as humans are concerned, given our technological achievements, I think we're about 3% of the way home, and about 99.999999999% further along than any other species on the planet.
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Old 14-October-2006, 01:58 PM
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And no, banjo playing is not genetic.
Are you certain of this?

I'm certain that any properly-constructed statistical analysis would reveal a very strong correlatation between banjo-playing fathers and their sons...
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Old 14-October-2006, 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by greenfeather View Post
In Stephen Baxter's EVOLUTION, future humans do "devolve". A worldwide catastrophe causes ecosystem collapse, and in a time of worldwide starvation, the large brain becomes a liability (because it requires so much nutrition). Intelligence goes by the wayside and man's descendants go back to being a species of ape.

Read this book, it's educational if depressing. It starts back in the dinosaur days and goes all the way to the day Earth gets crisped. Like I said... depressing!!
I've come to the conclusion that Baxter is a very depressing writer. End of the world isn't good enough for him he's got to wipe out the whole Universe
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