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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
 Posted - 09/09/2005 : 06:00:57
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http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/neurosciences/article_2340.shtml
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Our studies indicate that the trend that is the defining characteristic of human evolution - the growth of brain size and complexity - is likely still going on. If our species survives for another million years or so, I would imagine that the brain by then would show significant structural differences from the human brain of today.
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by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
 Posted - 09/09/2005 : 08:11:00 [Permalink]
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Course it is still evolving. Even if in a million years the average IQ was 75 that would still show evolution occured. It would just show that an IQ of 75 was the most beneficial for the survival of the human race.
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If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 09:18:20 [Permalink]
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I wonder what affect the physical evolution of the brain will have on our cultural evolution?
If god created man in his image, does that mean that god's brain is evolving too? |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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astropin
SFN Regular
USA
970 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 09:33:10 [Permalink]
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| From what I've seen, god doesn't have a brain. |
I would rather face a cold reality than delude myself with comforting fantasies.
You are free to believe what you want to believe and I am free to ridicule you for it.
Atheism:
The result of an unbiased and rational search for the truth.
Infinitus est numerus stultorum |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 12:15:31 [Permalink]
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| My answer to that article, "Well d'uh!" |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 12:18:42 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by pleco
I wonder what affect the physical evolution of the brain will have on our cultural evolution?
If god created man in his image, does that mean that god's brain is evolving too?
Now that is an interesting point. Trouble is those that deny evolution don't believe the evidence so they aren't likely to ponder the question. Those that believe in evolution and God are already changing the Biblical text to fit their version of events. They may choose to believe we have yet to reach God's level. Still, a very interesting point. |
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 15:34:50 [Permalink]
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quote:
From the article "Human Brain Is Still Evolving"...
They speculate that if the human species continues to survive, the human brain may continue to evolve, driven by the pressures of natural selection.
[...]
"What we can say is that our findings provide evidence that the human brain, the most important organ that distinguishes our species, is evolutionarily plastic," [Bruce Lahn] said.
I'm always surprised when people say things like, "the human brain may continue to evolve," as if we, or any species, might reach some point where evolution will cease. A species ceases to evolve when it becomes extinct. And last time I checked, the Earth still supports a vital breeding population of Homo sapiens.
The article itself is interesting, but for even more enlightenment there are some amusing, and somewhat disturbing comments posted below it. Although our brains certainly continue to evolve, as do all our other pieces and parts, the ability to use that brain is obviously still quite stunted in many individuals. Case in point...quote:
this sounds like sci-fi to me... who says bigger brains are smarter? if that was the case then we are going backwards in evolution because our ancestors had bigger brains.... these guys are confused, it is the other way around, things get smaller as they get better/more complex etc. for example computer chips. evolution is false, do research and you will find that evolutionists are racists, it is a mask to hide behind your racist anti-religious beliefs.
This idiot says, "... then we are going backwards in evolution because our ancestors had bigger brains." The comment acknowledges evolution and our ties to non-Homo sapien ancestors. Then he goes on to say, "evolution is false." Whew, some people's kids sure do have a tiny field of view.
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 17:33:29 [Permalink]
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| Predictably... |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 18:50:09 [Permalink]
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All extant species are in the process of evolving.
Some people think that there is some point to evolution beyond surviving to pass on your genes. Well, there isn't.
Brain size and complexity will only continue to increase as long as it provides some selective advantage.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Dry_vby
Skeptic Friend
Australia
249 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 19:16:27 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by pleco
I wonder what affect the physical evolution of the brain will have on our cultural evolution?
If god created man in his image, does that mean that god's brain is evolving too?
The Biblebashers answer to this is so simple, it's brain-numbing.
We are evolving towards God.
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"I'll go along with the charade
Until I can think my way out.
I know it was all a big joke
Whatever it was about."
Bob Dylan
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2005 : 21:10:06 [Permalink]
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What with the microcephalin gene possibly corrolating with art, music and a higher order of tool-making, and ASPM possibly corrolating with written language, spread of agriculture and development of cities, and the fact that these genes are far more common in non-African populations, I'd be worried about this discovery being used to revive the pseudo-scientifically-based racist arguments. Hopefully not.
It's all interesting and stuff, but could be interpreted so many different ways. We need to know so much more for the picture to make sense. Ah, science - every time we answer one question, we seem to discover several new ones. (Which is, of course, part of why science is so much fun.)
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"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 09/09/2005 21:10:33 |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2005 : 13:01:41 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by marfknox
What with the microcephalin gene possibly corrolating with art, music and a higher order of tool-making, and ASPM possibly corrolating with written language, spread of agriculture and development of cities, and the fact that these genes are far more common in non-African populations, I'd be worried about this discovery being used to revive the pseudo-scientifically-based racist arguments. Hopefully not.
It's all interesting and stuff, but could be interpreted so many different ways. We need to know so much more for the picture to make sense. Ah, science - every time we answer one question, we seem to discover several new ones. (Which is, of course, part of why science is so much fun.)
Say what? Where do you get this stuff from?
We are all one race. We all evolved from African origins. We were human before we migrated out of Africa. Art, agriculture and language are not the result of any single gene, nor is intellect.
So what on Earth are you talking about and could you cite a source for this misinformation? |
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tkster
Skeptic Friend
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2005 : 14:41:48 [Permalink]
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For the most part evolution has slowed down in homo sapiens sapiens because there are less mutations entering humans than compared to other species. Incestual species tend to have a higher rate of mutations, mostly bad few good, and tend to have speciation at higher rates. The consciousness in homo sapiens sapiens is what is evolving out of control as our knowledge is expected to double ever five or so years.
And the internet is just one of the many reasons that knowledge is increasing rapidly. More obtaining of knowledge will require more brain power.
tk |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2005 : 18:14:04 [Permalink]
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quote:
The consciousness in homo sapiens sapiens is what is evolving out of control as our knowledge is expected to double ever five or so years.
And the internet is just one of the many reasons that knowledge is increasing rapidly. More obtaining of knowledge will require more brain power.
If that were in some way advantageous in passing along genes to the next generation....
As for slowly evolving species... check the platypus. They have changed very little in the last million years, because they are well adapted to their environment.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2005 : 23:02:10 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by tkster
For the most part evolution has slowed down in homo sapiens sapiens because there are less mutations entering humans than compared to other species. Incestual species tend to have a higher rate of mutations, mostly bad few good, and tend to have speciation at higher rates. The consciousness in homo sapiens sapiens is what is evolving out of control as our knowledge is expected to double ever five or so years.....
tk
This is not exactly correct. You are mixing up the molecular level with the larger scale here. Natual evolution is very rapid in microrganisms but in large animals like humans it is occurring on a scale of thousands of years.
First, the rate of mutation is the same whether you have an incestual relationship or not. What differs is recessive genes have a higher chance of being expressed in offspring of close relatives.
One does get new species when a group remains isolated for a long enough time. And perhaps a smaller group would lead to a new species faster because one sort of pinches off a small slice of the gene pool from which to grow a new group. But that isn't because close relatives have more muting DNA.
People often lose sight of the time scale evolution occurs on. We can breed plants and animals and see rapid change in a species but that is because we are controlling the outcome.
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| Edited by - beskeptigal on 09/13/2005 23:35:32 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2005 : 05:18:58 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by tkster
For the most part evolution has slowed down in homo sapiens sapiens because there are less mutations entering humans than compared to other species.
Not quite. The DNA mutates just as much now as whenever. The difference is that in the developed world we have removed much of the selection pressure. That way, a larger part of the mutations occurring are neutral, as we have the ability to compensate for negative genetic mutations like hemophilia, colour-blindness, diabetes, physical deformities, various mental disabilities etc.
Changes in homo sapien sapien are now more than ever subject to genetic drift rather than natural selection.
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Incestual species tend to have a higher rate of mutations, mostly bad few good, and tend to have speciation at higher rates.
Already addressed...
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The consciousness in homo sapiens sapiens is what is evolving out of control as our knowledge is expected to double ever five or so years.
Our consciousness is a function or product of our biological physical brain. As such, the physical brain will set the upper limit to our consciousness. Mutations will of course affect the size of the brain, as well as the ability to create neural interconnections, and could possibly raise the upper limit of the brain's capacity to process. The thing is... we really don't have much selection pressure on intelligence and consciousness.
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And the Internet is just one of the many reasons that knowledge is increasing rapidly.
Yes, but now you're talking about cultural evolution, which is separate from biological evolution.
The only possible connection would be the need to retrieve and process the most important information the culture have accumulated, and this could indeed put some selective pressure on the brain as an increasingly bigger part of the world population becomes dependent on technology for survival.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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