Re: Darwinian evolution=Armageddon?

From: Michael Ragland (ragland37_at_webtv.net)
Date: 06/29/04 

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 16:10:47 +0000 (UTC)

Michael Ragland <ragland37@webtv.net> wrote or quoted:
I agree with you Tim but your projecting way into the future when we
have embraced design and the main possibilities for life not consisting
(in large part) of descendants of the human race in the future. I
suppose you consider whether Homo Sapiens will destroy themselves is a
rather moot question but I believe it is this period of our evolution
when there is the greatest risk of doing so.

Tim Tyler:
I agree. Organisms are at their most vulerable when they are young - and
our species is still fairly near start of its development - and we could
- in principle - still be wiped out by a big enough asteroid.

Ragland:
I suppose so. I would think our space telescopes would detect such a
body far in advance. It's chances of hitting the earth would be small
but it is theoretically possible. Such events have happenned in the
evolutionary past and have arguably had signifigant consequences. It's
also possible in the future will have weapons systems which will be able
to blow apart an asteroid that is directly coming toward earth and
expected to hit it..

Tim Tyler:
My original question was Darwinian evolution=Armageddon (permanent
extinction no descendants to be less biblical) if there is no genetic
intervention. You haven't exactly answered that.

Tim Tyler:
Since I don't see much chance of it happening, it seems rather
hypothetical.

Ragland:
Well one of the points I made is that as long as xenophobia,
territoriality and aggression are traits of our species they will
continue to threaten the survival of the species. Yes, there will be
genetic intervention or designing ourselves as a species but one of the
points I made was that initially this genetic intervention and design
i.e. eliminating genetic diseases, selecting hair and eye color, etc.
are not likely to genetically effect our propensity towards xenophobia,
territoriality and aggression. Am I to infer you think gradually we will
overcome this initial stage of genetic engineering and move on to more
serious genetic intervention and design? That is my impression.

Tim Tyler:
However, I suppose it is at least possible that humans could resist
designing themselves up to the point where machines formed 99% of the
planetary "biomass" - and outflanked humans in every way. At that point,
the human element would be pretty redundant and dispensible - and might
be in danger of disappearing.
..but seriously, I don't think moral codes or prohibition will be in
the least effective at preventing engineered humans from arising. A war
on genetic engineered humans would be about as effective as the war on
drugs has
been.

Ragland:
I agree.

Tim Tyler:
In this respect, stuff like Star Trek seems ridiculously unrealistic -
massive machine advance - but apparently practically no progress with
engineering humans - and indeed a deliberate failure to get to grips
with the subject.

Ragland:
Star Trek, Deep Space 9, Babylon 5, etc. they are all soap operas. No
one with intelligence seriously takes them to be a vision of the future.

A professor asked a student, "If you had a choice between the oppressed
and the oppressor which would you choose." The student replied,
"Neither". The Professor shook his head and stated, "You don't have a
choice." The student paused and said, "The oppressed".

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