Dynaverse.net
Off Topic => Ten Forward => Topic started by: AlienLXIX on October 17, 2006, 04:07:25 pm
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Human species 'may split in two'
Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.
Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.
The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology.
People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.
The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Race 'ironed out'
But in the nearer future, humans will evolve in 1,000 years into giants between 6ft and 7ft tall, he predicts, while life-spans will have extended to 120 years, Dr Curry claims.
Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, will improve, he says, while men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises.
Women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features, he adds. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-coloured people.
However, Dr Curry warns, in 10,000 years time humans may have paid a genetic price for relying on technology.
Spoiled by gadgets designed to meet their every need, they could come to resemble domesticated animals.
Receding chins
Social skills, such as communicating and interacting with others, could be lost, along with emotions such as love, sympathy, trust and respect. People would become less able to care for others, or perform in teams.
Physically, they would start to appear more juvenile. Chins would recede, as a result of having to chew less on processed food.
There could also be health problems caused by reliance on medicine, resulting in weak immune systems. Preventing deaths would also help to preserve the genetic defects that cause cancer.
Further into the future, sexual selection - being choosy about one's partner - was likely to create more and more genetic inequality, said Dr Curry.
The logical outcome would be two sub-species, "gracile" and "robust" humans similar to the Eloi and Morlocks foretold by HG Wells in his 1895 novel The Time Machine.
"While science and technology have the potential to create an ideal habitat for humanity over the next millennium, there is a possibility of a monumental genetic hangover over the subsequent millennia due to an over-reliance on technology reducing our natural capacity to resist disease, or our evolved ability to get along with each other, said Dr Curry.
He carried out the report for men's satellite TV channel Bravo.
(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42207000/jpg/_42207552_evolution4.jpg)
Humanity may split into an elite and an underclass, says Dr Curry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6057734.stm
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Tell me if this doesn't belong more on The Onion! LOL But hey maybe he's right. I would like to hope not but it's for our many times removed grandchildren to worry about. Talk about inbreeding though eh?
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It's miss swan!
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([url]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42207000/jpg/_42207552_evolution4.jpg[/url])
Yea, real bleepin' funny.
How did you ever get my old prom photo anyhow?
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([url]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42207000/jpg/_42207552_evolution4.jpg[/url])
Yea, real bleepin' funny.
How did you ever get my old prom photo anyhow?
Dare I ask which one is you? ;) ::)
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This book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_After_Man) is interesting (if you can find it at a used book store). I saw it many years ago...should have picked it up! :( Some really bizarre conjectures on the various evolutionary paths that humans may take in the future.
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This book ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_After_Man[/url]) is interesting (if you can find it at a used book store). I saw it many years ago...should have picked it up! :( Some really bizarre conjectures on the various evolutionary paths that humans may take in the future.
I can't imagine how many books over the years you've suggested to me, and now, I'll have to find this one also. Thanks for the link Kmelew.
Stephen
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Sounds like someone has been reading Half Past Human (http://www.amazon.com/Half-Past-Human-T-Bass/dp/0345023064/sr=1-1/qid=1161217314/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1943078-8920966?ie=UTF8&s=books) and The Godwhale (http://www.amazon.com/Godwhale-T-J-Bass/dp/0345310950/sr=1-1/qid=1161217339/ref=sr_1_1/102-1943078-8920966?ie=UTF8&s=books) then described the Nebish and Benthics
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It's closer to reality than you think. About one third of the human population carries the MTHFR gene defect which leads to auto-immune illnesses when the defect is passed, switched on. (think cancer for a big one ) It also is linked to heart disease. ( no one has that right?) This has to do with the ability to rid the body of anti-oxydents and and toxic metals. (methylation and sulphation) If the body can't detox, the immune system gets overwhelmed. As the picture suggests, one such product is down's syndrome, which would be an extreme example.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene=mthfr a little intro to mthfr and a mention of heart disease. Eugenics? Start screening people for the defect and get rid of them? guess we'll find out how civilised we are in the coming years.
http://ard.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/extract/64/12/1791 mthfr relating to autimmune issues extract only, but you get the idea.
or even better...
http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/hugenet/reviews/MTHFR.htm
...or we could just stop polluting ourselves and that third of the population that can't purge itself well or at all would become less of a problem
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The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Bah... that already happens between midnight and 2 am in every bar on the planet.
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The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Bah... that already happens between midnight and 2 am in every bar on the planet.
LMAO!!!
So true!!
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Well... If we get bigger penises, will the women get tighter vaginas? ;)
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The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Bah... that already happens between midnight and 2 am in every bar on the planet.
LMAO!!!
So true!!
Bah! we already know your 6'10 and Iron plated Steve. ;D Hey BTW, I know we share a common intrest bro, Know where I can get some Nitrous? I have alot of perafin wax that I found out here, back when Dutch was doing this whole candle thing.
Stephen
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Well... If we get bigger penises, will the women get tighter vaginas? ;)
I imagine the future vagina will evolve with thousands of tiny sharp teeth. However, men will still attempt to have sex with it.
Fortunatly for women, it will only be once.
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Bah! we already know your 6'10 and Iron plated Steve. ;D Hey BTW, I know we share a common intrest bro, Know where I can get some Nitrous? I have alot of perafin wax that I found out here, back when Dutch was doing this whole candle thing.
Stephen
Yikes, I dunno but check with any automotive specailty shop that does racing mods and such.
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Bah! we already know your 6'10 and Iron plated Steve. ;D Hey BTW, I know we share a common intrest bro, Know where I can get some Nitrous? I have alot of perafin wax that I found out here, back when Dutch was doing this whole candle thing.
Stephen
Yikes, I dunno but check with any automotive specailty shop that does racing mods and such.
Hmm, It beats knocking out my teeth. Dude two years from now, We will blow some stuff up. erm.... Again.
Stephen
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Whoever came up with this is obviously not married. If so s/he would know that the human species is already split in two!!
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Whoever came up with this is obviously not married. If so s/he would know that the human species is already split in two!!
Amen. You know, a woman can't make you happy.. but she can sure as hell decide you're not going to BE happy..
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Whoever came up with this is obviously not married. If so s/he would know that the human species is already split in two!!
Amen. You know, a woman can't make you happy.. but she can sure as hell decide you're not going to BE happy..
And some women know how to make the men in their lives incredibly happy! So there! Thippppth :P :D
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And some women know how to make the men in their lives incredibly happy! So there! Thippppth :P :D
Or else.
(http://photos.groups.aol.com/_img/sfccaptains/B_baCK/pic32702.bmp)
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Whoever came up with this is obviously not married. If so s/he would know that the human species is already split in two!!
Amen. You know, a woman can't make you happy.. but she can sure as hell decide you're not going to BE happy..
And some women know how to make the men in their lives incredibly happy! So there! Thippppth :P :D
Yeah... I'm thinking.. "You're not happy, "ain't" nobody happy"..but you could be the 1 in 3 billion exception to the rule..
(runs)
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That's only if evolution is allowed to run itself.
I think humanity will enginneer itself to run lots longer, and living in space and low gravity environments will adjust that heavily as well.
The split won't be as bad as that though. Consider God's sense of humor. While there'll be two versions, the attractive ones will miss out on brains and common sense. Just imagine the future split up into Ashton Kutchers and Kirsten Dunsts and the other version will be Bill Gateses and ...errr... can't think of any really really biright women, but they can't be nearly as appealing to the eye :P
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I really, really doubt this is possible. There have been human populations that have been cut off from the rest of humanity for long periods of time, like the Australian native populations, and they didn't become a seperate species (as there is no group of humans that can't breed with others to create a fertile child). Considering that I can now fly to Australia in less than a day (and potentially get busy and breed), it just isn't going to happen in any time frame that is worth worrying about. We'll be gone as a species from something else long before this is possible.
Edit: Probably the biggest reason we don't see any sub-species in humans is that humans respond to differing enviromental pressures mainly by changing behaviors. Like how we didn't evolve fur when we moved into colder climates, we modified our clothing.
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Potomac water will do that in one lifetime. ;)