NationStates Jolt Archive

I've always pondered this question, so I finally decided to do a bit of light research on it.

This is what I discovered. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7103668/)

Basically, the article states that we will evolve into a variety of beings:

There are the Unihumans, which are basically a stable niche where all races are simply compined into one.

The Survivalistan, a being that is well adapted to a nuclear wasteland, with radiation resistant skin and night vision coupled with a sturdy, muscular frame.

Numans, genetically modified beings due to our tampering with our DNA and genetic blueprints.

Cyborgs, which are, well, cyborgs. We became so dependant upon cybernetic implants that we actually evolved around them, turning into Cyborgs.

Finally, Astrans, beings that have evolved around space travel, and are therefore designed to enter long hibernations as ships pilot themselves to new planets, and finally wake up and populate when needed.

Your thoughts?

There will be a massive population of fast breeding, early dying, less intelligent humanoids who will do the world's grunt work, and a smaller population of slower breeding, longer lived, smart human descendants who will rule the masses by distracting them and dividing them.

Evolution isn't predicatable.

Your thoughts?

this sounds like something from dungeons & Dragons
:rolleyes:

Doubtful that it's forseeable. But I'd imagine a slow development that makes it easier for the human body to absorb saturated fat without the negative consequences.

We're slowly becoming monkeys again... just look at Mr. Bush.

Doubtful that it's forseeable. But I'd imagine a slow development that makes it easier for the human body to absorb saturated fat without the negative consequences.

This is true, a lot of the evolution that we may undergo in the future will be to adapt to the environment we have made for us now. For example, like you said, making it easier for the human body to absorb saturated fat with no negative consequences.

The problem with that theory is, that our environment is constantly changing, much too fast for our bodies to adapt to it.

To predict evolutionary changes to a species is to predict the changes in the species environment which remove some from the breeding stock and more importantly leave some who are fitter to breed and survive the changes. I reckon that the next big change will be due to some small portion of the population being resistant to some new deadly disease. If the doom and gloom global warming theories pan out however the predictions are going this week then resistance to heat will be a plus but not really enough to wholesale change the species towards heat resistance. The deadly disease might be a virus or it might even be from some drastic misjudgement that escapes from the nanotechnology field of work. Most other things wont make large parts of the human population stop breeding while others continue on.

We're slowly becoming monkeys again... just look at Mr. Bush.

Congratulations on posting something about Bush that is completely irrelevant to the thread. Run along now.

As for my reply, though...

EYEBEAMS! :D

http://www.geekonstun.com/images/kenka_bancho_eyebeams.jpg

Likely, humanity will split into two races: the intelligent rationalists, and the less intelligent fideists. The intelligent tend to breed with the intelligent, and produce less offspring, which the unintelligent are shunned by the intelligent and so breed with the unintelligent, and tend to produce copious amounts of offspring.

The result: humans will be composed of a race of stupid religious fundementalists with huge families and a huge population advantage over the rationalist, secular intelligent humans, who breed less.

I think in the near future, next couple of hundred years we'll see the following.

Genetic refinment. Through genetic engineering we'll improve the human body. increase in life expectancy, removal of minor defects (no need for glasses, hearing aids, etc..), decrease of cell division errors, increase in average IQ, improved respiration to absorb more CO2, etc... Maybe even the ability to consciously control your bodies chemistry. The release of endorphins, increase/decrease muscle mass, etc...
Cybernetics. Nothing as gross as as the borg or such. But micro-chips in the brain to allow direct access to the interent (or equivilent). The enhance/speed up thought processes. direct access to computers/systems through said chips/processors.

With these changes we would be able to make the jump to interstellar travel quite easily. With direct access to all information, direct democracy would be not only possible but feasible. The improvements to the body would remove most desease/illness and with the increase in longevity people might actually care more for their surroundings as they would see the consequences.

This is true, a lot of the evolution that we may undergo in the future will be to adapt to the environment we have made for us now. For example, like you said, making it easier for the human body to absorb saturated fat with no negative consequences.

The problem with that theory is, that our environment is constantly changing, much too fast for our bodies to adapt to it.

It's just going to be all this kind of mundane sorts of things that will happen, although I do agree with Clu' that eyebeams should be the next step :D

I've always pondered this question, so I finally decided to do a bit of light research on it.

This is what I discovered. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7103668/)

Basically, the article states that we will evolve into a variety of beings:

There are the Unihumans, which are basically a stable niche where all races are simply compined into one.

The Survivalistan, a being that is well adapted to a nuclear wasteland, with radiation resistant skin and night vision coupled with a sturdy, muscular frame.

Numans, genetically modified beings due to our tampering with our DNA and genetic blueprints.

Cyborgs, which are, well, cyborgs. We became so dependant upon cybernetic implants that we actually evolved around them, turning into Cyborgs.

Finally, Astrans, beings that have evolved around space travel, and are therefore designed to enter long hibernations as ships pilot themselves to new planets, and finally wake up and populate when needed.

Your thoughts?

Evolution is a slow process humans have experienced only minor changes in the last 100,000 yrs. Any mutations as adaptations to a extreme enviroments are impossible, we cannot evolve fast enough to overcome radiation-extinction is the only possible outcome.

As we have no need to evolve to survive there is no reward for any human that does so. We control our enviroment so new adaptations will likely be lost as it isn't crucial for our survival.

Evolution isn't a list of steps that species go through. It's a phenomenon that occurs when life-forms adapt to better fit their environment by "survival of the fittest".

Ummm I have had a good think about this one and can only come up with; Really big ears!

I want to be a Cyborg! :D

I've always pondered this question, so I finally decided to do a bit of light research on it.

This is what I discovered. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7103668/)

Basically, the article states that we will evolve into a variety of beings:

There are the Unihumans, which are basically a stable niche where all races are simply compined into one.

The Survivalistan, a being that is well adapted to a nuclear wasteland, with radiation resistant skin and night vision coupled with a sturdy, muscular frame.

Numans, genetically modified beings due to our tampering with our DNA and genetic blueprints.

Cyborgs, which are, well, cyborgs. We became so dependant upon cybernetic implants that we actually evolved around them, turning into Cyborgs.

Finally, Astrans, beings that have evolved around space travel, and are therefore designed to enter long hibernations as ships pilot themselves to new planets, and finally wake up and populate when needed.

Your thoughts?

I think a third eye would look seemly!

An extra wanking hand, so you can still use the right-handed mouse when surfing for porn on the internet.

An extra wanking hand, so you can still use the right-handed mouse when surfing for porn on the internet.

Why can't you surf with your right and wank with your left?

The next evolutionary step. Well, a step, anyways...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/derek45/funny/penguins.gif

I've always pondered this question, so I finally decided to do a bit of light research on it.

This is what I discovered. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7103668/)

Basically, the article states that we will evolve into a variety of beings:

There are the Unihumans, which are basically a stable niche where all races are simply compined into one.

The Survivalistan, a being that is well adapted to a nuclear wasteland, with radiation resistant skin and night vision coupled with a sturdy, muscular frame.

Numans, genetically modified beings due to our tampering with our DNA and genetic blueprints.

Cyborgs, which are, well, cyborgs. We became so dependant upon cybernetic implants that we actually evolved around them, turning into Cyborgs.

Finally, Astrans, beings that have evolved around space travel, and are therefore designed to enter long hibernations as ships pilot themselves to new planets, and finally wake up and populate when needed.

Your thoughts?


Pure fantasy. Enjoyable, humorous, and ultimately lacking in all things remotely intellectual. Fabulous science fiction.

<snip>

Numans, genetically modified beings due to our tampering with our DNA and genetic blueprints.

<snip>

Numan!
http://i7.tinypic.com/2rymyqh.jpg

If I remember the highly scientific (or, at least as scientific as this thread) texts I used to read, then all humans shall begin their life by rolling a pair of percentile dice, they will then receive random modifications, ranging from eye beams to an extra arm growing out of their chest, based on what they rolled.
Oh, and all people will be born aged 18-26, and they'll feel compelled to run around the wilderness beating up giant ants and talking rabbits.

In a more practical sense, I doubt humans will evolve at all (or at least, not in the Industrialized World). For evolution to take effect, there has to be a great deal of stress being applied to a population over a long period of time. Since our current society is designed to prevent humans from dying in droves (ever how unfit they are to survive), the "inferior" will continue to reproduce, passing on their genes.
For example, a blind man would have died in short order during the 10th Century B.C. These days, he can not only survive, but reproduce and pass on his genetic defect to his children.

Most of what the OP describes is essentially Fallout. =P

The next HUGE step (not something like being able to digest saturated fat in a healthy way) is most likely going to involve us doubling our chromosomes, becoming the 46/2 humans, which are essentially one consciousness while retaining individuality.

If I remember the highly scientific (or, at least as scientific as this thread) texts I used to read, then all humans shall begin their life by rolling a pair of percentile dice, they will then receive random modifications, ranging from eye beams to an extra arm growing out of their chest, based on what they rolled.
Oh, and all people will be born aged 18-26, and they'll feel compelled to run around the wilderness beating up giant ants and talking rabbits.

In a more practical sense, I doubt humans will evolve at all (or at least, not in the Industrialized World). For evolution to take effect, there has to be a great deal of stress being applied to a population over a long period of time. Since our current society is designed to prevent humans from dying in droves (ever how unfit they are to survive), the "inferior" will continue to reproduce, passing on their genes.
For example, a blind man would have died in short order during the 10th Century B.C. These days, he can not only survive, but reproduce and pass on his genetic defect to his children.

Y'know what? Sh with the Falllout. Fallout rules.

Your thoughts?

As several people already pointed out: evolution does not have to agree with us on what is "better". If becoming monkeybrained nosepickers increases our chances of survival - so be it.

I think the next evolutionary step is obvious: fingers shaped like spoons and forks

duh!

Our legs will shrink, our butts will extend farther down our legs, our arms will become stubbier but we'll grow more and longer fingers.

This of course is for internet addicts.

Y'know what? Sh with the Falllout. Fallout rules.
Actually, I was referring to Gamma World, get thy nerdiness in order, fool!

wings I hope!(oh and multi coloured skin!)

actually evolution isnt actually caused by environmental shift. Evolution occurs because a stable mutation provides advantage over those elements of the population which do not possess that mutation. Evolution often appears to follow environmental or climactic change because a previously unused talent or ability becomes useable and more succesful. Hence, evolution is possible without drastic change. As previously pointed out, humanity is in control over a great deal of its environment, so the likelihood of large scale and uniform evolution is low. To say we arent evolving at all is a falsehood however. New mutations are taking root in segregated communities like the Amish. There is a phenomenon known only to certain areas for instance where urine smells like maple syrup. a mutation? yes. is it likely to be widespread? no.

We're unlikely to evolve very much - our species is more likely to wipe itself out.

However, before then, I think there'll be some considerable genetic tinkering, for blocks of genes with any effect on height, muscle mass, hair/eye colour, perhaps even intelligence one day etc etc. Rich parents'll want their kids to have the best start in life, and they'll be the only ones able to afford it, at first. Results might be unstable until they work out every kink, though.

Man made 'evolution'? Then you can get _weird_ stuff.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/derek45/funny/strangelove_rumsfeld.jpg

Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.

"It would not be difficult, Mein Fuhrer. Nuclear reactors could... I'm sorry, Mr. President... nuclear reactors could provide power almost indefinitely."

*sigh* Is there any point to discussing this? It's not like we're going to really see evolution, and neither will our children, our children's children, their children, ad infinitum.

And no one's being funny, either. What's wrong with you people?!

Probably the next step of evolution will be humans shooting lasers out of our eyes.


Realistically, if the world stays as it is now, there wont be evolution of the human race. As it is, human beings in their present condition are able to grow to the age where they can reproduce and then reproduce. There is no need for any mutation that gives us a greater advantage to propogate the species because we are already quite capable of doing so. Some people have mentioned that we would evolve in such a way to combat obesity. However, I don't foresee that happening. By the time people who are particularly susceptible to obesity die from it, they are likely in their 40's, 50's or 60's and have long since reproduced and passed on their genes.

In the event of a nuclear holocaust, it's possible that some might be able to survive the radiation and pass on their genes when others die. For this to lead to "Evolution of the species" it would require lots of death (those who can't handle radiation would have to die or be wounded to the point of not being able to reproduce.) Pretty much any large scale evolution would have to be accompanied by lots of people not being able to reproduce (probably because they're dead).

There will be a massive population of fast breeding, early dying, less intelligent humanoids who will do the world's grunt work, and a smaller population of slower breeding, longer lived, smart human descendants who will rule the masses by distracting them and dividing them.

LOL Did You recently read "The Time Machine" by H.G Wells. Maybe devide into two groups the Thals and the Dals. After years of war the Dals will mutate & create a tank-like case for mobility with death-rays to conquer the world.

Opposable toes.

Evolution has ended for the human race. WE are now (or very soon will be) in total control of our genetic destiny.

AS to where we'll go with it - that will be everywhere, with everything, AS everything. Genetics isn't something that requires massive labs and multi-million dollar budgets, not once the basics are worked out. So every faction with some idea of which direction humanity <should> go in, will go there.

We'll have cyborgs, mer-people, space-adaptees, superbrains, enhanced physicals - all of them, and all, ultimately, human.