Funny thing, I looked at this and the first thing I thought was "what happened to DMZ?" (Not because I think he's a fainting goat but because of evolution debates).
A man has been sentenced to six months' probation for shooting at his neighbor's radio-controlled model airplanes with a shotgun.
...
Nuttle told The Ann Arbor News after the hearing that the planes have been a nuisance to his family, scaring his children, spooking his chickens and causing his goats to faint from exhaustion.
There is within the example of the fainting goat a scary but plausible allegory of what could happen to the human race. You have to wonder if natural evolution among humans is dead.
There is within the example of the fainting goat a scary but plausible allegory of what could happen to the human race. You have to wonder if natural evolution among humans is dead.
There is within the example of the fainting goat a scary but plausible allegory of what could happen to the human race. You have to wonder if natural evolution among humans is dead.
We seem to be at a tipping point, though. There's two angles to natural selection amongst humanoids-- there's one where group survival is assured through cooperatiuon and innovation, and another where the winner is the guy who bonks the innovator over the head and takes his stuff.
The latter is still giving the former a run for their money, and may be gaining the upper hand.
We seem to be at a tipping point, though. There's two angles to natural selection amongst humanoids-- there's one where group survival is assured through cooperatiuon and innovation, and another where the winner is the guy who bonks the innovator over the head and takes his stuff.
The latter is still giving the former a run for their money, and may be gaining the upper hand.
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
As far as a human evolutionary process currently underway, I can only think of the case that smart folks tend to have offspring with other smart folks. Any other type of natural selection that may be going on wouldn't seem to be progressive. But there's certainly no tension in modern life that's going to overwhelmingly promote evolution, and I think that the genetic engineering of the human race is an inevitable outcome.
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
Sure, it's overly simplistic. I was cramming a general thought into two sentences. However, it does still relate to genetic evolution, as the smart ones, the innovators, are getting crowded out by the opportunists in my scenario. It's really just a scenario, but it doesn't take the kind of intellect that innovation requires to realize that bonking gets you fed. With the anti-science and rationality bent that even western culture is taking, I fear for the continued evolution of our intellect if the superstitious, ignorant opportunists who take advantage of others' innovations gain the upper hand in the reproductive battle. If there's a big tip, we'll end up with a bunch of dumb, muscle-bound ogres 10,000 years down the road.
It's definitely just an oversimplified scenario though and my viewpoint is probably amplified by my general state of misanthropy that I seem to be going through on a personal level.
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
As far as a human evolutionary process currently underway, I can only think of the case that smart folks tend to have offspring with other smart folks. Any other type of natural selection that may be going on wouldn't seem to be progressive. But there's certainly no tension in modern life that's going to overwhelmingly promote evolution, and I think that the genetic engineering of the human race is an inevitable outcome.
You cannot avoid evolution...
You can reduce selection pressure, but you certainly can't stop a species from evolving -- it is the nature of the system...
Think about it this way, it took some 100,000 years for humans to develop from Homo erectus... evolution isn't fast, and you certainly cannot see major changes in the few generations a person is alive.
Fainting goats kick ass. I'm too lazy to click on that link, but the video I saw was of a guy opening an umbrella towards them quickly and it was like an invisible shock wave had come out of the umbrella and killed them.
Think about it this way, it took some 100,000 years for humans to develop from Homo erectus... evolution isn't fast, and you certainly cannot see major changes in the few generations a person is alive.
You're absolutely correct. I'm not expecting a new speicies anytime soon. The issue is that Homo erectus and every species of man unitil recently lived in a state of tension. That tension is mostly gone, and I'm curious if it's enough to promote what they call "dysgenic" conditions. If you look at the evolution of any modern species, there are a lot of dead-ends in the tree.
The other half of the hypothesis I'm raising involves genetic engineering, and is simply that I think the human race will augment itself artificially before nature is able to provide positive evolutionary change.
As we explore space more and stay in space craft for longer periods of time, genetic mutations via cosmic rays, isolated societies (the first groups of space travellers to distant stars will likely be large groups of people and will be a generational voyages) will make for an accellerated evolution of the human species I think.
If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.
So what you're saying is that Republicans are trying to create a race of super criminals?! Is that what your saying? Uh, that's news to no one buddy; they have succeeded in just a short timeframe.
Ha, hadn't noticed that! While I was writing that article, I had IMed the goat video URL to my wife. Sometimes Firefox doesn't register my cmd-c keystrokes. When I tried to copy Slashdot's URL (because why type it out, right? I'm so lazy) I guess it didn't go through. So when I pasted the URL into BBEdit, what came out was the last thing in my clipboard, the goat video, instead of the Slashdot URL.
I guess everyone else who proofread my article thought it was intentional too, because no one said anything! But you know, it's actually pretty apt, so I'm keeping it
Ha, hadn't noticed that! While I was writing that article, I had IMed the goat video URL to my wife. Sometimes Firefox doesn't register my cmd-c keystrokes. When I tried to copy Slashdot's URL (because why type it out, right? I'm so lazy) I guess it didn't go through. So when I pasted the URL into BBEdit, what came out was the last thing in my clipboard, the goat video, instead of the Slashdot URL.
I guess everyone else who proofread my article thought it was intentional too, because no one said anything! But you know, it's actually pretty apt, so I'm keeping it
I was certain it was a jab at the slashdot crowd, and an apropos one at that. I think leaving it is a fine decision.
Comments
Originally posted by Anders
The fainting goat
"Ohh there is a goat eating monster, must hurry away. Oh shit"
While that might be from evolution, I am pretty sure there was nothing Natural about the Selective Breeding that produced those goats.
A man has been sentenced to six months' probation for shooting at his neighbor's radio-controlled model airplanes with a shotgun.
...
Nuttle told The Ann Arbor News after the hearing that the planes have been a nuisance to his family, scaring his children, spooking his chickens and causing his goats to faint from exhaustion.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
There is within the example of the fainting goat a scary but plausible allegory of what could happen to the human race. You have to wonder if natural evolution among humans is dead.
Of course not.
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/osx-fiveyears.ars/2
Originally posted by Splinemodel
There is within the example of the fainting goat a scary but plausible allegory of what could happen to the human race. You have to wonder if natural evolution among humans is dead.
We seem to be at a tipping point, though. There's two angles to natural selection amongst humanoids-- there's one where group survival is assured through cooperatiuon and innovation, and another where the winner is the guy who bonks the innovator over the head and takes his stuff.
The latter is still giving the former a run for their money, and may be gaining the upper hand.
Originally posted by chris v
We seem to be at a tipping point, though. There's two angles to natural selection amongst humanoids-- there's one where group survival is assured through cooperatiuon and innovation, and another where the winner is the guy who bonks the innovator over the head and takes his stuff.
The latter is still giving the former a run for their money, and may be gaining the upper hand.
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
As far as a human evolutionary process currently underway, I can only think of the case that smart folks tend to have offspring with other smart folks. Any other type of natural selection that may be going on wouldn't seem to be progressive. But there's certainly no tension in modern life that's going to overwhelmingly promote evolution, and I think that the genetic engineering of the human race is an inevitable outcome.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
Sure, it's overly simplistic. I was cramming a general thought into two sentences. However, it does still relate to genetic evolution, as the smart ones, the innovators, are getting crowded out by the opportunists in my scenario. It's really just a scenario, but it doesn't take the kind of intellect that innovation requires to realize that bonking gets you fed. With the anti-science and rationality bent that even western culture is taking, I fear for the continued evolution of our intellect if the superstitious, ignorant opportunists who take advantage of others' innovations gain the upper hand in the reproductive battle. If there's a big tip, we'll end up with a bunch of dumb, muscle-bound ogres 10,000 years down the road.
It's definitely just an oversimplified scenario though and my viewpoint is probably amplified by my general state of misanthropy that I seem to be going through on a personal level.
The goat video is teh funny, though.
Originally posted by Splinemodel
I am refering more to genetic evolution than cultural evolution. I don't want to get in to the philosophic underpinnings of your assertion, other than briefly offering you my opinion that they are simplistic.
As far as a human evolutionary process currently underway, I can only think of the case that smart folks tend to have offspring with other smart folks. Any other type of natural selection that may be going on wouldn't seem to be progressive. But there's certainly no tension in modern life that's going to overwhelmingly promote evolution, and I think that the genetic engineering of the human race is an inevitable outcome.
You cannot avoid evolution...
You can reduce selection pressure, but you certainly can't stop a species from evolving -- it is the nature of the system...
Think about it this way, it took some 100,000 years for humans to develop from Homo erectus... evolution isn't fast, and you certainly cannot see major changes in the few generations a person is alive.
Originally posted by hardeeharhar
Think about it this way, it took some 100,000 years for humans to develop from Homo erectus... evolution isn't fast, and you certainly cannot see major changes in the few generations a person is alive.
You're absolutely correct. I'm not expecting a new speicies anytime soon. The issue is that Homo erectus and every species of man unitil recently lived in a state of tension. That tension is mostly gone, and I'm curious if it's enough to promote what they call "dysgenic" conditions. If you look at the evolution of any modern species, there are a lot of dead-ends in the tree.
The other half of the hypothesis I'm raising involves genetic engineering, and is simply that I think the human race will augment itself artificially before nature is able to provide positive evolutionary change.
Originally posted by BRussell
If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.
So what you're saying is that Republicans are trying to create a race of super criminals?! Is that what your saying? Uh, that's news to no one buddy; they have succeeded in just a short timeframe.
I keed, I keed!
Originally posted by chris v
I got a laugh out of Siracusa making a hotlink for Slashdot that went to the fainting goat vid here:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/osx-fiveyears.ars/2
Ha, hadn't noticed that! While I was writing that article, I had IMed the goat video URL to my wife. Sometimes Firefox doesn't register my cmd-c keystrokes. When I tried to copy Slashdot's URL (because why type it out, right? I'm so lazy) I guess it didn't go through. So when I pasted the URL into BBEdit, what came out was the last thing in my clipboard, the goat video, instead of the Slashdot URL.
I guess everyone else who proofread my article thought it was intentional too, because no one said anything! But you know, it's actually pretty apt, so I'm keeping it
Originally posted by John
Ha, hadn't noticed that! While I was writing that article, I had IMed the goat video URL to my wife. Sometimes Firefox doesn't register my cmd-c keystrokes. When I tried to copy Slashdot's URL (because why type it out, right? I'm so lazy) I guess it didn't go through. So when I pasted the URL into BBEdit, what came out was the last thing in my clipboard, the goat video, instead of the Slashdot URL.
I guess everyone else who proofread my article thought it was intentional too, because no one said anything! But you know, it's actually pretty apt, so I'm keeping it
I was certain it was a jab at the slashdot crowd, and an apropos one at that. I think leaving it is a fine decision.