Comment

Comment by Chantal Wallace on April 11, 2012 at 11:22am

While we may very well be the most destructive animals, I also think we're the most able to fix it. And why don't you care about "Billy Bob"? Wouldn't securing a future for his kids do the same for your own? Education is so important. I think there are plenty of smart kids who simply don't have access to education (and I mean all over the world, not just in America). By building more schools and fewer prisons, isn't it possible to reduce the negative trend toward ignorance? It might take awhile but we didn't get where we are overnight...

Comment by Richard ∑wald on April 11, 2012 at 11:15am

"I am referring to the smarter humans. We have fewer children - and by a process of numbers we cannot survive."

Perhaps you should consider the (lack of) genomic evidence for this before claiming it as a given.

Comment by Richard ∑wald on April 11, 2012 at 11:13am

"Fuck!  I can't stand this place anymore."

Dude, …the monkeys! Go watch them dance, trust me. It always fixes this.

Comment by Marc Draco on April 11, 2012 at 10:36am

What is it with you guys? What happened to intelligent discussion? Did the nasty man with the ideas about economics driven you all to attack anyone with an opinion that wasn't yours?.

The first big name that I know of to make the distinction about technology was Carl Sagan and by observation, this is already happening.

Biologists more educated that I am recognise we are the most destructive animal. This is not disputed any more than intellectual people dispute Big Bang.

When I talk about "our" descendants in terms of evolution - you do remember that is what this is about - I am referring to the smarter humans. We have fewer children - and by a process of numbers we cannot survive.

This is Darwinian selection and it has happened before - something you would know if you had a handle on human evolution.

You think I care what happens to "Billy Bob" - no - but I do care about my children and their descendants. This is natural - we have an evolutionary need to protect our genes.

And Richard - just saying "this doesn't make it true" is a fallacious. As scientists we make predictions based on evidence and the overwhelming evidence is that less intelligent people are more destructive and have more children. 

They do this because they don't experience the consequences; at least none that they can see or feel. The consequence of the industrial age has been to pollute the biosphere to such a degree that we may have already gone beyond the tipping point. Global warming might or might not be man made, but you can't deny climate change is a fact.

Comment by Richard ∑wald on April 11, 2012 at 9:46am

"I'm not the first to make this observation and I won't be the last."

This, …doesn't make it true.

Comment by Marc Draco on April 11, 2012 at 9:28am

@John D. I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to get at there. I didn't mention anarchy; nor did I suggest that a nuclear bomb is going to wipe us out. Please don't confuse me with a non-scientist.

What I said - and the evidence supports this - is that the stupid will inherit the earth. There's more of them; they breed faster and take less care of the environment we all need to survive. I'm not the first to make this observation and I won't be the last.

As for us being a plague - weasel wording aside - we are the most destructive animal on the planet and evolution will drive our descendants into extinction - assuming that a caldera or other natural disaster doesn't get us first.

Comment by Richard ∑wald on April 11, 2012 at 8:22am

"So when we complete our evolution"

You should probably realize that the term for this is "extinction".

Comment by Marc Draco on April 11, 2012 at 7:20am

@John D. The only problem with that is that the Jerry Springer "cast" will be the people who inherit the earth. They are the ones having the largest families (by and large). 

Which may not be such a bad thing - since they'll be unable to sustain themselves and eventually, we humans will go extinct leaving the planet to the next big thing.

Comment by Nontheist Central on April 11, 2012 at 7:11am

we will never stop evolving.  As environment changes, the need to evolve arises.  Evolution can be effectively put on hold if there is no need for a species to change, but there is no end to evolution.  If we manage to put ourselves into another environment, then evolution will start making us more suitable for that environment.

The "mess we've made" is a result of over population, poor education and belief in unreality.

Comment by Joseph P on April 10, 2012 at 10:36pm

So when we complete our evolution what are the chances of us developing a brain that will allow us to understand what a mess we have created for ourselves?  Hell is that one of those questions again Joseph?

 

That's a question that demonstrates that you don't understand the basics of biological evolution, yes.

Seriously, go read a few books.  I've already given you several good titles.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 23
• 24
• 25
• 26
• 27
• …
• 145
• Next ›
• Page