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08-15-2011, 09:39 PM
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Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,447,934 times
Reputation: 8956
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I have what is probably a dumb question for all of you science geniuses . . .
If "man" has evolved for millions or billions of years (sorry, I have not a clue), then what accounts for apparent "stupidity" amongst many homo sapiens?
If this is the best that can be done after millions or billions of years, what do you make of that and how did the first humans ever manage to survive???
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08-15-2011, 10:29 PM
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3,426 posts, read 3,097,685 times
Reputation: 3319
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Quote:
Originally Posted by imcurious
I have what is probably a dumb question for all of you science geniuses . . .
If "man" has evolved for millions or billions of years (sorry, I have not a clue), then what accounts for apparent "stupidity" amongst many homo sapiens?
If this is the best that can be done after millions or billions of years, what do you make of that and how did the first humans ever manage to survive???
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Well, Frank Zappa had the answer to this. He said that stupidity is the basic building block of the universe. So it is only natural that humans would be stupid. 
They survived by stealing some else's stuff. That pretty much sums up all of human history. |
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08-15-2011, 10:30 PM
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Location: Rivendell
1,387 posts, read 2,374,728 times
Reputation: 1650
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One of the reasons Homo sapiens was originally such a successful species was because of their intelligence.
These days a human no longer needs to be intelligent to survive.
Intelligent people often give thought to procreation, whereas stupid people tend to breed indiscriminately.
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08-15-2011, 10:35 PM
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Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,447,934 times
Reputation: 8956
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You would just think that after millions or billions of years, the species would be perfected.
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08-15-2011, 10:43 PM
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Location: Rivendell
1,387 posts, read 2,374,728 times
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Perfection is subjective.
You speak as if evolution occurs with a goal in mind. It doesn't.
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08-15-2011, 10:47 PM
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Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,447,934 times
Reputation: 8956
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No, I am just talking about survival. "Survival of the fittest . . . " If the stupid are the fittest, what does that mean?
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08-15-2011, 10:54 PM
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Location: Rivendell
1,387 posts, read 2,374,728 times
Reputation: 1650
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"Survival of the fittest" does not apply to domesticated creatures such as ourselves. We do not select for fitness. We really don't tend to select at all, unless you count places like China that select for male children.
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08-15-2011, 10:57 PM
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Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,447,934 times
Reputation: 8956
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I am not a scientist, but most females, if asked, would say they "select for fitness" (and fitness would be defined as smart and healthy, for starters) . . .
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08-16-2011, 08:50 AM
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13,136 posts, read 39,398,541 times
Reputation: 12284
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sizzly Friddle
One of the reasons Homo sapiens was originally such a successful species was because of their intelligence.
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Spot on !!!
It was our hunter gather instincts (intellegence) that allowed early humans to migrate out of africa some 75,000 years ago and to survive all that the earth had to throw at them (weather elements, animals, starvation/thirst, disease etc.). Sometimes i wonder if the reason we have so many auto immune diseases are do to our 200,000 year old hunter gatherer immune system misplaced in todays (last 5,000 years) urbanized/agriculture world as it hasn't fully adapted as of yet as 5,000 years is just a blip in the evolutionary time scale  . |
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08-16-2011, 08:53 AM
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13,136 posts, read 39,398,541 times
Reputation: 12284
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Quote:
Originally Posted by imcurious
You would just think that after millions or billions of years, the species would be perfected.
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All human species 1.8 million years
Homo Sapiens (current humans) 200,000 years
Agriculture only 10,000 years |
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