technological advances and human evolution

[Muffled]

i just found this on CNN
Are we taking evolution into our own hands? - CNN.com

thoughts?

I was thinking you ought to take a trip to Las Vegas when it isn't snowing, lol.

It would not surprise me a bit if God decided our attempts to be creator in place of Him ought to be terminated.

 

[lunakilo]

As has already been stated, Technological advances has changed the invironment wee live in.
But for it to have an influence on evolution it has to somehow change the genes that are being passed on to the next generation.

It is basically down to who manage to have children before they die.

So if techonology influences make it possible for people whould otherwise not have been able to have children then technological advances influences evolution.
I don't just mean people who are treated for infatility, I also mean people who without technological advanceswould have died before being old enough to have children or people who would have died during pregnancy and never given birth to a live child.

Technological advances do change the odds for some people and probably influence evolution in some way, but I don't think there are any clear trends that suggests that the genes which are passed on to the next generation is significantly different from the genes that would otherwise have been passed on.

The clearest trend I can see is that people in 'technologically advanced countries' tend to have fewer children than people in less developed countries. This will have an influence on the gene pool, but I don't know if this counts

 

[Wombat]

what does anyone think about our technological advances as being a part of human evolution...

I stood outside a Motor Bike Showroom yesterday looking at 'Monkey Bikes' and Mini Dirt Bikes for kids...asking myself the same question. Wondering how our ancestors (at 8 -15yo) would cope with the speed, noise, fine motor skills, co ordination... Concluded it would probably take them all of a week to get over the shock and adapt.

Some studies have been done on the neurological/psychological effects of prolonged engagement in first person shooter computer games...none of it looks like enhancing our evolution.....buy the kids a dirt bike

PS....I hope the technological/medical advances give us evolutionary choices.......I definately want 'gills'.

 

[waitasec]

I was thinking you ought to take a trip to Las Vegas when it isn't snowing, lol.

It would not surprise me a bit if God decided our attempts to be creator in place of Him ought to be terminated.

just like the tower of babel....

 

[waitasec]

As has already been stated, Technological advances has changed the invironment wee live in.
But for it to have an influence on evolution it has to somehow change the genes that are being passed on to the next generation.

It is basically down to who manage to have children before they die.

So if techonology influences make it possible for people whould otherwise not have been able to have children then technological advances influences evolution.
I don't just mean people who are treated for infatility, I also mean people who without technological advanceswould have died before being old enough to have children or people who would have died during pregnancy and never given birth to a live child.

Technological advances do change the odds for some people and probably influence evolution in some way, but I don't think there are any clear trends that suggests that the genes which are passed on to the next generation is significantly different from the genes that would otherwise have been passed on.

The clearest trend I can see is that people in 'technologically advanced countries' tend to have fewer children than people in less developed countries. This will have an influence on the gene pool, but I don't know if this counts

i wonder about the foods we eat...in particular fast food.
here in america there is an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
and for the first time todays children will live shorter lives than their parents...

 

[painted wolf]

Actually we have been influenced... domestication of cattle has given us selective pressure to digest milk as adults... growing grain has influenced the genes that help us digest carbohydrates, increasing the number of genes that produce the enzymes we need.

and so on...

wa:do

 

[Penumbra]

Actually we have been influenced... domestication of cattle has given us selective pressure to digest milk as adults... growing grain has influenced the genes that help us digest carbohydrates, increasing the number of genes that produce the enzymes we need.

and so on...

wa:do

Good example.

I remember learning in a nutrition class that the ability to digest milk is different among different cultures. Those of European descent can most easily digest milk, followed by Asians, followed by Africans. It's a matter of which cultures most heavily domesticated cows and utilized the milk.