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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kosh on October 18, 2006, 01:55:40 am

Title: Human race may split in two
Post by: Kosh on October 18, 2006, 01:55:40 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6057734.stm

Quote
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.


Interesting stuff.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Prophet on October 18, 2006, 02:31:32 am
That's pretty optimistic, to assume that human race will be around after 3000 years...
And even if it would be around, this guy assumes that the social enviroment remains stable, and unchanged. Frankly, its a nice fantasy, but I don't take it seriously.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Wobble73 on October 18, 2006, 03:52:33 am
I think there is a dim-witted underclass already emerging within western cultures anyway! :p
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: WMCoolmon on October 18, 2006, 04:28:36 am
I buy that they can predict the future about as much as...

Well, hell, I've heard brutally blatant con schemes that were more believeable than that.

Though I can understand that the guy has qualifications up the wazoo, it really doesn't seem like much more than a common-sense observation of historic & social trends to get some extra publicity.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Ashrak on October 18, 2006, 04:39:59 am
i predict were all gona die during the next 110 or so years


any counterarguments are welcome
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: WMCoolmon on October 18, 2006, 05:05:16 am
How about this... we make a bet.

In 110 years, if the human race still exists, you pay me (or another person designated by me) $1,000,000, adjusted for inflation/currency change/etc.

In 110 years, if the human race doesn't exist, I'll pay you (or another person that you have designated) $1,000,000, adjusted for inflation/currency change/etc.

Sounds fair to me. ;) :p
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Ashrak on October 18, 2006, 06:53:01 am
you misread my post i said WE aka the current forum users, not human race.


Im right your wrong.

Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Colonol Dekker on October 18, 2006, 07:15:55 am
I'm assuming thats in dog years and am happy to claim my prize. :p
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Turnsky on October 18, 2006, 07:21:18 am
I think there is a dim-witted underclass already emerging within western cultures anyway! :p

yes, they're the hollywoodians, or their cousins, the politicians.  :p
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: aldo_14 on October 18, 2006, 10:45:51 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6057734.stm

Quote
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.


Interesting stuff.

This is the Oliver Curry who holds a Phd “…on the evolution of human moral sentiments — in the Government Department of the LSE.”

http://www.badscience.net/?p=315
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Herra Tohtori on October 18, 2006, 11:04:20 am
I think there is a dim-witted underclass already emerging within western cultures anyway! :p

yes, they're the hollywoodians, or their cousins, the politicians.  :p


I thought it consisted of hairdressers, tired TV producers, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, security guards, management consultants, telephone sanitizers and the like, but I guess hollywood actors and politicians would blend in quite nicely.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Colonol Dekker on October 18, 2006, 11:19:33 am
Dont forget GTVA command......... :lol:
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Ford Prefect on October 18, 2006, 11:28:27 am
Am I the only person who thinks people are unfair to Hollywood?
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Janos on October 18, 2006, 11:40:17 am
That article is so complete bull**** and tripe that I don't even know where to begin. It's offensively retarded.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Turambar on October 18, 2006, 11:58:32 am
well, it makes some of us feel better.  those of us that are convinced that our race is pretty much stagnating in that everyone can breed and people with obvious harmful genetic disorders are allowed to pass them on to the next generation.

also, it provides some hope of perhaps a future ruled by the smart people.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Janos on October 18, 2006, 12:10:18 pm
well, it makes some of us feel better.  those of us that are convinced that our race is pretty much stagnating in that everyone can breed and people with obvious harmful genetic disorders are allowed to pass them on to the next generation.

also, it provides some hope of perhaps a future ruled by the smart people.

well yeah only that your second sentence effectively destroys the "basis" [read: hazard nonscientific guesswork based on writer's own opinions of what should be] of that idiculous article [read: only good as toilet paper]

edit: If you want to know just what (everything) is wrong with this article and why am I so furious about this even getting "serious" discussion then this sums it up pretty nicely. http://scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2006/10/the_nonesense_claim_about_huma.php
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Getter Robo G on October 18, 2006, 12:42:27 pm
I can't wait to feast on the bones of you lazy Eloi bastards :)

(Cookie for reference)...
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: aldo_14 on October 18, 2006, 12:47:02 pm
Surely "He carried out the report for men's satellite TV channel Bravo." is enough to show everyone how bollocks this is.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: redsniper on October 18, 2006, 01:09:43 pm
I can't wait to feast on the bones of you lazy Eloi bastards :)

(Cookie for reference)...
Time Machine
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Flipside on October 18, 2006, 01:12:53 pm
Cool! I didn't know you could evolve by appointment :D
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Mr. Vega on October 18, 2006, 01:54:11 pm
"This isn't right. It's not even wrong." -Wolfgang Pauli
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Freespace Freak on October 18, 2006, 01:59:40 pm
There's way too much world wide interbreeding for that to happen on Earth.  Now, if 100,000 years from now we have multiple extra-terrestrial human colonies like I think we will then yes we will split into subspecies, but each subspecies will exist on seperate planets and will be adapted to their local environment, not an intellegent vs. dim-witted split.  This is Hitleresque social darwanism bull****.  As time progresses, interbreeding will only increase, not decrease, and species division will occur if and only if populations are too isolated from each other to transfer genes.    :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Flipside on October 18, 2006, 02:05:55 pm
Since when was the last time someone asked a girl or guy in a nightclub their IQ anyway?? Their age I can understand, but never in my life have I heard...

'Sorry, I can't have casual sex with you, you aren't intelligent enough for me.'
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Turambar on October 18, 2006, 02:11:08 pm
ive used that one, actually.

i despise the dumb.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Bobboau on October 18, 2006, 02:16:30 pm
but there is a trend for people to stick within there own socal strata, you don't find milionares marrying coal miners very oftine. granted current trends are no were near good enough to cause a split.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Janos on October 18, 2006, 04:05:57 pm
ive used that one, actually.

i despise the dumb.

you don't get laid very often do you
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: IceFire on October 18, 2006, 05:45:49 pm
but there is a trend for people to stick within there own socal strata, you don't find milionares marrying coal miners very oftine. granted current trends are no were near good enough to cause a split.
I think thats bang on.  Rich, smart, and attractive (as defined by the notion of the day) people tend to marry and have children with others of similar status.  I already think there is a split in the human race.  Its not genetic yet...its almost purely social but its been around for a while and it continues to perpetuate.  Give it thousands of years and you may start to see genetic divergence.  But I suspect not nearly as much as this guy is saying...humans are too sex driven to save up for just the good ones...too many people spreading their genes around at random.

Something would need to seriously change in the way that humans view sexuality for this reality to come true.  Its a little pie in the sky.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Goober5000 on October 18, 2006, 06:37:02 pm
That article is so complete bull**** and tripe that I don't even know where to begin. It's offensively retarded.

Hmm.  As opposed to defensively retarded?
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: achtung on October 18, 2006, 07:02:42 pm
The Upper class/Middle class/Lower class divide isn't strong enough for this, and to be honest, I doubt it ever will be.

We're all just going to continue a species-wide steady downward evolutionary path here in the next few thousand years until we're all apes again.  Unless of course, you throw genetic engineering into the mix.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Freespace Freak on October 18, 2006, 07:44:32 pm
Negative, evolution is driven by extinction.  When a species is isolated from its counterparts, and local populations are driven to the verge of extinction, interbreeding between closely related members drives mutations, which accelerate evolution.  There are simply too many people, and world-wide and cross-class interbreeding is so prevalant that evolution, upward or downward, is simply impossible.  Only if groups of the human race become completely and totally isolated from others will groups evolve to a point where interbreeding becomes impossible.  This simply won't happen on Earth, but possibly on extraterrestrial colonies isolated from Earth in the future.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Grug on October 18, 2006, 08:50:44 pm
but there is a trend for people to stick within there own socal strata, you don't find milionares marrying coal miners very oftine. granted current trends are no were near good enough to cause a split.

Who are you kidding, the miners are the millionaires! :p
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Freespace Freak on October 18, 2006, 09:17:47 pm
Don't be fooled, this "theory" is nothing more than bogus social darwinism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_darwinism).
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: achtung on October 18, 2006, 09:42:44 pm
but there is a trend for people to stick within there own socal strata, you don't find milionares marrying coal miners very oftine. granted current trends are no were near good enough to cause a split.



Who are you kidding, the miners are the millionaires! :p
Miners get paid pretty damn well.  Most around here make a minimum of 14-20 dollars an hour.  The mines being coal mines.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Black Wolf on October 18, 2006, 10:10:07 pm

but there is a trend for people to stick within there own socal strata, you don't find milionares marrying coal miners very oftine. granted current trends are no were near good enough to cause a split.

Around here, the minimum starting salary for an operator is a mine is around 80000 a year - if you've got any experience at all that hikes straight up to 100 000, once you've got serious experience and you're not just a grunt any more (e.g. shift manager or  whatever) you're getting up into the 150 k plus range, and this is all still base rates - you get Super on top of that, as well as paid leave and stuff, plus you're generally working fly in fly out, so generally on either 2 weeks on, one week off or a nine days on five days off rotation (though some companies do better than that - 6 and 4 is getting common, and I know BHP were running 4 and 4 at one point. Even non miners make ridiculous amounts of money by working on or near the mines - cleaners and dioshwashers are on 100k plus and the same rotation - one bloke went up north and manages a fast food shop and he's on 2000 a week.

Money's even better if you go offshore and woirk in oil and gas. Miners and those working around them are bloody rolling in it.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Bobboau on October 18, 2006, 11:15:53 pm
:doubt:... a burgerflipper...
better?
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Janos on October 18, 2006, 11:37:40 pm
That article is so complete bull**** and tripe that I don't even know where to begin. It's offensively retarded.

Hmm.  As opposed to defensively retarded?

No! Fool!
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Turambar on October 19, 2006, 12:50:06 am
                       cylons
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Mathwiz6 on October 19, 2006, 05:20:34 pm
We need genetic engineering!

Or eugenics programs  :doubt:
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Dark RevenantX on October 19, 2006, 11:16:52 pm
i despise the dumb.

If you've attended public schools, then I can understand completely.
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: BS403 on October 20, 2006, 12:22:30 am
 :lol: I hate dumb people I just want to rip out their voice box so I don't have to hear them anymore.:hopping::lol:
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Colonol Dekker on October 20, 2006, 08:33:43 am
We need genetic engineering!

Or eugenics programs  :doubt:
All hail the Black Lance,  :D

*wishful thinking* Hmmm, genselect bomb, .........
or Casino Royale style- kill everyone over 5ft2 and make all women attractive lol/
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: Ace on October 21, 2006, 11:28:34 pm
We need genetic engineering!

Or eugenics programs  :doubt:
or Casino Royale style- kill everyone over 5ft2 and make all women attractive lol/

Welcome to the secret lair of Dr. Noah... *cue 60s villain music*
Title: Re: Human race may split in two
Post by: karajorma on October 25, 2006, 06:48:53 am
This is the Oliver Curry who holds a Phd “…on the evolution of human moral sentiments — in the Government Department of the LSE.”

It's also the same Oliver Curry who is predicting we will all have bigger dicks or bigger breasts in the future.

http://www.badscience.net/?p=316#more-316