Evolution confusion

[EmWilliams]

heya my first post proper here, wanted to introduce myself. Well came here cos someplace way back in my family tree, i am related to Darwin. I need to read up on this stuff been too busy with school.

[Sisyphus]

someplace way back in my family tree, i am related to Darwin.

 

Cute.

[iNow]

Speaking of cute...

 

 

 

4cgJgnG9YzY

[hewj11]

A quick thought to this discussion on evolution.

Which way would the human race be heading in? If evolution is adaptation to the enviorment and we can create an enviorments, specific living conditions or conditions for people that would normally not make it in life or life in a "natural" enviorment, yet still pass along there genes. Then are we looking at a broad range of people that need specific living conditions, or over population, something along thoughs lines.

Hopefully this makes sense.

[Mr Skeptic]

We can direct our own evolution now. More likely, we will use genetic engineering to change much faster than evolution would allow.

[iNow]

We can direct our own evolution now. More likely, we will use genetic engineering to change much faster than evolution via natural selection would allow.

 

I updated your quote to make it more accurate. [/pedantic]

[mkramer]

Hey, if you want some more explanation about evolution, I wrote this article that may help explain some common misconceptions. Check it out!

 

http://tnjn.com/2009/mar/04/science-for-dummies-scitech-ed/

[Edtharan]

A quick thought to this discussion on evolution.

Which way would the human race be heading in? If evolution is adaptation to the enviorment and we can create an enviorments, specific living conditions or conditions for people that would normally not make it in life or life in a "natural" enviorment, yet still pass along there genes. Then are we looking at a broad range of people that need specific living conditions, or over population, something along thoughs lines.

Hopefully this makes sense.

It is wrong to think of Evolution heading in a "direction". It is random variation with non random selection. This leads to adaptation, but it is not specifically in any "direction".

 

Adaptation can be in many directions at the same time. Usually there is not just one adaptive solution to the situation.

 

Also as you state, we area changing our environment, but, as this ability to change our environment has been evolved (large brain, etc), this is actually a feedback loop where we change the environment, then we adapt to that new environment which changes the environment again leading us to adapt again.

 

But, as adaptation is in no specific direction, and as it is also random, then we are not really progressing in any direction, we are just adapting to the immediate environment (which then changes the immediate environment).

 

If the environment changes faster than we can adapt, or in ways that we cant adapt to, then we will have problems and might even get speciation if this situations persists long enough. Until then, Humans as we know them will change, but they will change in ways that is partly directed by ourselves.

[iNow]

And now for a list of 50 reasons why people reject evolution in favor of creationism:

 

http://bobbie-the-jean.deviantart.com/journal/23586617/

 

 

Numbers 20 to 22 seem especially pertinent, but the others are also quite good, such as 35 and 47.