• Question: do you think humans can or will evolve more than we already have? (:

    Asked by hollylewisdavies to Lily, Mark, Paul, Sarah on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Mark Roberts

      Mark Roberts answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      This is a qu that also puzzles me and I’ve been pondering for a while and I don’t think there is an east a

      We are through medicine etc removing selection pressures from our species so you could say we are not evolving.

      However as not all of us reproduce and only the genes from those that do pass on we will change over time – whether this is drift or evolution I don’t know.

      Also there may be big selection pressures in the future that will make are species evolve

      So in short we certainly can and I reakon we will, but I’m not quite sure what the selection pressures will be

    • Photo: Sarah Bardsley

      Sarah Bardsley answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Great question. I think we will continue to evolve. New technologies will aid this. Human enhancement is relevant the branch of science. So we could improve intelligence, health, physical performance or beauty by manipulating DNA. But the science isn’t there yet, there’s still much to learn about DNA and its influence on us. Plus there could be ethical issues as well. Is it right to mess like this to produce better humans?

    • Photo: Paul Roche

      Paul Roche answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Evolution is a very slow, gradual process – I think we are now at a stage where humans will use genetic and engineering to change our bodies. We already do to some extent, with gene therapy, artificial limbs, hearing aids etc.

      But I think in the future people will be able to customise their bodies, using genetic engineering, nanotechnology or robotics – maybe adding storage space to your brain, having an ability to “plug in” information like ine The Matrix etc.

    • Photo: Lily Asquith

      Lily Asquith answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      The trouble is we have advanced *so quickly* over the last couple of centuries, it is almost like we are out-running evolution now.

      Evolution is about survival and amplification of certain traits people have (like tallness or smartness) that benefit their ability to survive to have children.

      Now almost everyone in the western world is surviving to have children, no matter how fast they can run or how quickly they can think.

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