Re: Darwinian evolution=Armageddon?

From: Tim Tyler (tim_at_tt1lock.org)
Date: 06/26/04 

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2004 22:20:06 +0000 (UTC)

Michael Ragland <ragland37@webtv.net> wrote or quoted:

> That is why I advocate genetic engineering of people. Because I do agree
> generally with people like Pinker. I think if Darwinian evolution is
> permitted to continue it will result in our destruction as a species.
> Aggression is a salient component of Darwinian evolution. Will anybody
> seriously question that. Can anybody seriously question the continuation
> of extreme violence around the world which is not primarily culturally
> fueled but a part of our biology. I realize some would take issue with
> this and state such violence was primarily culturally fueled but I don't
> believe that.
>
> I'd welcome a response from the likes of Wilkins, Atmar, Moran,
> Felsenstein, Dr. Hayes, etc. whether they consider the continuation of
> Darwinian evolution (assuming there is no genetic intervention) to
> ultimately lead to the destruction of our species.

Future organisms *will* be designed.

Certainly if some members of the human race were to choose not to employ
design, then they will eventually be wiped out by others who do.

My essay on the subject:

  http://alife.co.uk/essays/engineered_future/

Looking at all the stuff humans are currently busy designing,
them rejecting design seems unlikely to me.

Assuming we continue to embrace design, the main possibilities for life
not consisting (in large part) of descendants of the human race in the
future would then look something like:

* Invasion by aliens too advanced to bother assimilating us;
* Failure to get off the planet before we run out of resources
   (or the sun explodes);
* Getting wiped out by our creations;
   * Getting wiped out by intelligent machines;
   * Getting wiped out by nanotechnology;
* Getting wiped out competitors/predators;
* Getting wiped out pathogens;

The only one of these that I reckon might constite a serious long-term
risk is the first one. 

-- 
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 |im |yler  http://timtyler.org/  tim@tt1lock.org  Remove lock to reply.

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