Will Humans evolve much further?

[cronk-flakes]

I assume that human beings, as a species, will evolve further. But what are the predictions here?

Not being a scientist, I'd love to learn about what the experts* think about further evolution. Today, we live in a very sheltered society. We are protected from most everyday threats that might have been a hazard in the past, leaving only the capable to reproduce... How do you think we will be in 10,000 years or such?

* = The members of this forum

[ludo]

watch Idiocracy, and be very concerned for our future!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

[zac510]

How can we *not* evolve?

[CoolC]

My though is, that we have effectively stopped evolution of the human with medical science.

There is no more "survival of the fittest" as we have the knowledge to help those who are "unfit"

In effect anyone can breed and produce the next generation regardless.

[Shay HTFC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6057734.stm

Some scientists reckon that we will evolve into two new species pretty much.
In however long there will be a set of shorter, fatter, more stupid people and a set of taller, slimmer, more intelligent people.

[im]

It'll almost be a pre-requisite for exteneded space travel and/or habitation of other worlds. In fact, to that end we may well have to engineer our evolution.

[Dr_Gonzo]

We won't evolve any further because natural selection (for most) has all but stopped due to modrern medicine, the welfare state, and the fact that for most of the population there is no longer a real struggle to survive. Sexual selection will also not have much to play with as there's the population is too fluid.

[zac510]

CoolC said:

My though is, that we have effectively stopped evolution of the human with medical science.

There is no more "survival of the fittest" as we have the knowledge to help those who are "unfit"

In effect anyone can breed and produce the next generation regardless.

I think you must be taking the concept that only the fittest breed and survive a little too literally.

[deeps]

I think we're due a very severe step backwards in the not too distant future. We've come too far too quickly, the graph of progress has risen too steeply and will fall back to the mean line.

I wouldn't be at all suprised if life in 200 years time was similar to life 2000 years ago.

Possible causes... space debris, extraordinary solar activity, or plain old self destruction.

[WorAl]

In 10,000 years time there will be no human beings, we are evolving too quickly and will wipe ourselves from the earth. I woudl say the human race has about another 1-2 thousand years exsistance left.

[cronk-flakes]

im said:

It'll almost be a pre-requisite for exteneded space travel and/or habitation of other worlds. In fact, to that end we may well have to engineer our evolution.

That's a very interesting thought...

[Alex]

Medical advances have interfered with natural selection, but humans will evolve through other types of selection.

[voyds9]

Shay HTFC said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6057734.stm

Some scientists reckon that we will evolve into two new species pretty much.
In however long there will be a set of shorter, fatter, more stupid people and a set of taller, slimmer, more intelligent people.

I could quite easily believe this has already happened

[cronk-flakes]

WorAl said:

In 10,000 years time there will be no human beings, we are evolving too quickly and will wipe ourselves from the earth. I woudl say the human race has about another 1-2 thousand years exsistance left.

Cheery!

[smn159]

[The Wookie]

Shay HTFC said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6057734.stm

Some scientists reckon that we will evolve into two new species pretty much.
In however long there will be a set of shorter, fatter, more stupid people and a set of taller, slimmer, more intelligent people.

It has already begun.

In all seriousness though, if biological evolution has ceased (after all, we are the dominant species by some margin and our reproduction is unhindered, so there is no need to evolve further), then in effect we've been left to our own devices, and the next step is through the application of technology, whether that be through physical integration of technology or artificial genetic manipulation.

Eventually we'll get to a point where technology evolves no further, like the constant upgrading of the internal combustion engine, silicon microprocessors, etc, and revert to polishing the ultimate turd - The Human Body

Edited by The Wookie on Monday 26th October 16:10

[WorAl]

cronk-flakes said:

WorAl said:

In 10,000 years time there will be no human beings, we are evolving too quickly and will wipe ourselves from the earth. I woudl say the human race has about another 1-2 thousand years exsistance left.

Cheery!

I know, but i couldnt give a st either, myself and any family will be long gone.

[im]

cronk-flakes said:

im said:

It'll almost be a pre-requisite for exteneded space travel and/or habitation of other worlds. In fact, to that end we may well have to engineer our evolution.

That's a very interesting thought...

I'm deep I am

[Marf]

im said:

In fact, to that end we may well have to engineer our evolution.

This.

I'm fairly convinced that our next evolutionary step will be integrating ourselves with technology and augmenting our minds and bodies with technology.

[bigandclever]

Agent Smith in that documentary The Matrix said:

I'd like to share a revelation I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure.

Damn straight.