"With savages the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated. We civilized men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to smallpox. Thus the weak members of civilized society propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of men." - Charles Darwin (The Descent of Man)

To amplify this theory, take, for instance, this thought from Julian Huxley:

"Though man's genetic nature changed a great deal during the long proto-human stage, there is no evidence that it has in any important way improved since the time of the Aurignanian cave man. Indeed, during this period it is probable that man's nature has degenerated and is still doing so. In general, the most elaborate social life is, the more it tends to shield the individuals from the action of natural selection; and when this occurs, harmful mutations accumulate instead of being weeded out." Julian Huxley (Essays of a Humanist)

I'm sure they are in the sense that it doesn't come down to survival of the fittest anymore.

But, u can't really live your life for the good of mankind now can u?

sawatdiikhrap said:

Well... ideally, you could live for the good of mankind if we lived in a truly utilitarian society.

IceNine said:

But the rewards are so distant and u're not around to see them. U'd have to be a saint to live like that.

Surely it's ok just to be good to yourself and others with the present and near future in mind.

What do u think about it?

How have medical advances affected otters?

sawatdiikhrap said:

I don't know about medical advances, but we fucking humans have almost totally fucked otters out of existence.

Fucking humans... we should all be killed.

Where are WellBeyond and Aerogram when you need them???

This thread should be a winner...

IceNine said:

Doesn't seem to be anybody around anymore. Strange, seems like even the GD forum is going downhill a bit these days.

Are some people just not coming to the org anymore or what?

Haven't been to the Religion and Politics forum in a while though, is anything much happening in there?

we are devo!

medoc2003 said:

"Well god made man, but he used a monkey to do it..."

lately, it seems to have bcome survival of the fitting. And when we didn't fit, we made sure we'd change it. Looks like it will b coming back 2 haunt us.

note: i'm not even sure what i'm saying ... need sleep ... need sleep

SpcMs said:

You are very right... your sleep-deprivation did not affect your thoughts this time.

We change things to make them fit us until it weakens us as a race.

right now

George Bush is the only thing that is harmful to the human race.

Evolution is over!

BorisFishpaw said:

De-evolution reigns supreme!

IceNine said:

This time???

SpcMs said:

:LOL:

IceNine said:

Yes of course, no question.

Other factors, however, such as intelligence, are still selected for by evolution, as there is no cure for stupidity.

teller said:

They are working on it though. But they think a cure is a long way off.

Cute fluffy Harp Seal Pups will inherit the earth!

IceNine sez:

I certainly think that medical advances are usually harmful to Michael Jackson.

But to respond to your two quotes, those are just two men, whose opinion matters no more than any of us, except maybe Nep2nes. And Charles Darwin must know some tough motherfuckers with the "constitution" to deal with smallpox.

And the point of letting your species die off due to diesase is...?

Besides, it's all about the survival of the fattest!