In fact, if anything, the evidence from various studies suggests human evolution is speeding up, not slowing down!
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2007/12/human-evolution-speeding
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071211-human-evolution.html
But, to those that better understand how evolution works, this will come as no surprise. This is partly because, and contrary to popular belief, evolution isn't about "survival of the fittest" (else peacock tail feathers wouldn't evolve that clearly hinder individual survival) but rather its about passing on genes and it is much more subtle.
23 Apr 18
3 edits
The post that was quoted here has been removedI think that should be WHEN humans become extinct. We have a max date also. Even if we manage to build civilizations around planets in star systems a million light years from Earth, we will still have an end date, a billion years from now, future alien archaeologists will not even be able to find a trace of those long ago humans. Maybe some bacterial traces they can extrapolate our history from but not much else.
We humans are just a tiny blip in time on the cosmic scale.
BTW, I heard about the speen case from a NPR show called 'quirks and quarks'. Amazing proof of present day evolution. Ken Ham, take that🙂
23 Apr 18
3 edits
The post that was quoted here has been removedThe identification of a gene variant that controls spleen size during development in the Bajau people is an excellent scientific study. It's kind of amazing what the Bajau are capable of, and very cool that someone identified a mechanism that allows them to "store" oxygenated blood in their huge spleens for longer dives.
But you lost me with this politically-fashionable brain thing. How would that mechanism of natural selection work? In our current ecosystem, would higher (or lower) intelligence lead to advantages as it pertains to natural selection? Do you need to be smart to have children?
23 Apr 18
The post that was quoted here has been removedYes, that was implied in my somewhat rhetorical question. Intelligence evolved through natural selection as a means to solve complex problems, e.g. tool usage, socialization and disease resistance.
I should rephrase: In our current ecosystem, through what naturally selective mechanism do you think human intelligence will evolve? Will it have anything to do with what is politically fashionable?
In my opinion, it is our intellectual diversity that is important in the current ecosystem. Different strokes for different folks, if you will. Therefore, absent a near-extinction event, the intelligence of our population will not grossly change.
25 Apr 18
1 edit
The post that was quoted here has been removedThe US is ALREADY in its endgame. When idiots like Trump can get elected president, the US takes a hit and will probably not recover since there is no such thing in Trumps so-called mind about how to conduct talks with other countries since he is convinced the US is THE world power, ignoring such countries as China, India, Brazil, Russia, Iran, all those 'third world countries' he thinks are not worthy of true dealing.
Right now China is set to or already has passed the US in Phd papers submitted and the US is falling behind steadily in terms of climate control and even spaceflight, we lost that bid when we destroyed the plans for the Saturn V rocket which could have had people on Mars by now but the shortsighted government of Nixon and every one since, concluded we won the propaganda race, story over, just a publicity stunt, we are the best, no need to actually go into space for real. Its no wonder Americans are the ones saying we never went to the moon. Now Trump has tried to kill all EPA rules, let's build way more coal plants, who needs fusion, wave power, solar, all fake news.
It's sad really, for Americans anyway.