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[GeekyDad]

Lower?

Most other creatures seem far more accepting of their place in the order of things, whereas we seem to have become less and and less accepting over millennia. And, like babies, we are loud and needy, though other creatures of nature just kinda...do their thing, seemingly more at peace with everything.

What if nature doesn't evolve, but rather, it devolves?

 

[analog_future]

 

[Bojji]

Lower?

Most other creatures seem far more accepting of their place in the order of things, whereas we seem to have become less and and less accepting over millennia. And, like babies, we are loud and needy, though other creatures of nature just kinda...do their thing, seemingly more at peace with everything.

What if nature doesn't evolve, but rather, it devolves?

Humans stopped or handicapped evolution thanks to modern medicine, we are allowing people that would otherwise die at early age to breed and pass on bad genes. It sounds like something Hitler would say but that's the reality, I also think that it's good overall, we are conscious creatures and nature is unforgiving as fuck. No wonder we found ways to fight this butality.

We are also devolving in terms of IQ:

Opinion | Many developed countries are getting dumber, and the U.S. is likely next

An intelligence crisis could undermine our problem-solving capacities and dim the prospects of the global economy.

www.nbcnews.com

I think we can only evolve thanks to genetic modifications at this point or cyberpunk style implants.

 

[AJUMP23]

Look at the stupidity throughout the world. We are devolving. Only a small group of internet savvy message board posters have the collective wisdom to save humanity.

 

[EviLore]

Evolution by natural selection is about reproductive fitness, not better or worse outcomes per se.

Intelligence/success and reproductive rates are actually now negatively correlated in the modern world. This is not a great outcome from an evolutionary perspective.

 

[JimmyF]

Look at the stupidity throughout the world. We are devolving. Only a small group of internet savvy message board posters have the collective wisdom to save humanity.

Gamefaqs humanity's last hope!

 

[IDKFA]

We can't literally evolve backwards, but the modern world is certainly having a detrimental impact on humanity.

Some studies have shown out attention span is getting a lot worse. I'll admit, mine took a nose dive at one point because I was glued to my phone. Numerous social media sites, GAF, online shopping, port etc etc. I used to easily read a book a week, but I went through a stage where focusing on a book was an extreme challenge. Thankfully I got over it, but saying that it has been creeping back.

 

[Raonak]

All creatures adapt to the world that they live in. They're constantly changing, accumulation of change is called evolving.
What you think of "evolving lower" is just evolving in ways that you didn't predict or didn't want.

Humans generally look at their childhood as the "ideal state" of the world. It's the power of nostalgia, erasing the negativies and boosting the positives.
You're likely gonna be nostalgic about this very moment in 10 years time.

Just enjoy the ride mate, humans, society, civilisation, technology etc are gonna be so different in next 20, 100, 500, 1000 years.
We are slowly merging with technology to expand beyond our biological limits.

 

[Hudo]

As I keep walking around other people, I find myself thinking almost everyday "we can't evolve lower than we already have".

 

[LordOfChaos]

"Lower" or "Higher" is just a human concept ascribed to evolution, which has no clear direction other than overcoming pressures, whether that's a pressure that makes you smarter, or gives up some intelligence for speed or strength or something else.

And don't take this as an endorsement for eugenics or anything but I think it's probably true, with modern medicine we've really worked around most evolutionary pressure forces, there's nothing that's rate limiting on population except our own opinions on it.

 

[winjer]

Our brains are actually shrinking for a few millennia.

The Human Brain Has been Getting Smaller Since the Stone Age

Yep, brains are shrinking.

www.discovermagazine.com

 

[MMaRsu]

Evolution by natural selection is about reproductive fitness, not better or worse outcomes per se.

Intelligence/success and reproductive rates are actually now negatively correlated in the modern world. This is not a great outcome from an evolutionary perspective.

So we are heading towards idiocracy??

 

[violence]

Remove the resistance, you stop getting stronger

 

[Boss Mog]

Judging by the state of the world, I can say for certain we are regressing and not evolving. We can't even define what a woman is anymore ffs.

 

[Mistake]

We are also devolving in terms of IQ:

Opinion | Many developed countries are getting dumber, and the U.S. is likely next

An intelligence crisis could undermine our problem-solving capacities and dim the prospects of the global economy.

www.nbcnews.com

I think we can only evolve thanks to genetic modifications at this point or cyberpunk style implants.

I'm not entirely sure I believe this, given how each generation has had exposure to one crazy chemical or another. Usually lead.

Also, I read a theory once that autism could be our natural evolution in a sense, by trying to deal with massive amounts of information in a more precise way. You see those geniuses occasionally who can only do one thing

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Obligatory...

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Eh, one could already reasonable argue that for a few generations things have been declining e.g. birth rates, intelligence, inventiveness, grit etc. Seeing my son run honours at the top end of STEM classes, daughter killing it with competitive sport and them getting phased at home with my basic "surprise" questions has me laugh at what and how schools teach these kids days. Parents have to be active and present just as much as the school does.

Could we devolve? Sure, I'd say lack of death, fear of loss and abundance of resources combined with our ability to shape our environment around us has not been great in terms of evolving humanity. The same goes for this whole enchilada growing exponentially with tech advancements, good and bad.

 

[GeekyDad]

Humans stopped or handicapped evolution thanks to modern medicine, we are allowing people that would otherwise die at early age to breed and pass on bad genes. It sounds like something Hitler would say but that's the reality, I also think that it's good overall, we are conscious creatures and nature is unforgiving as fuck. No wonder we found ways to fight this butality.

We are also devolving in terms of IQ:

Opinion | Many developed countries are getting dumber, and the U.S. is likely next

An intelligence crisis could undermine our problem-solving capacities and dim the prospects of the global economy.

www.nbcnews.com

I think we can only evolve thanks to genetic modifications at this point or cyberpunk style implants.

Evolution by natural selection is about reproductive fitness, not better or worse outcomes per se.

Intelligence/success and reproductive rates are actually now negatively correlated in the modern world. This is not a great outcome from an evolutionary perspective.

Whelp, I would think that depends on your perception of what evolution is. If you consider it in terms of simply being, at the most prime state, I really think we could be devolving. Rather than becoming more at peace with ourselves and the rest of the universe, we seem to be breaking away, almost like a blackhole (which would also rely on perception and what we currently don't know about them).

Consciousness could be spiraling us down into that "dirt," for lack of a better association.

Please keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that that itself wouldn't be a part of the natural process of things. I just wonder if we're not looking at is ass-backward, so to speak.

 

[Raonak]

Whelp, I would think that depends on your perception of what evolution is. If you consider it in terms of simply being, at the most prime state, I really think we could be devolving. Rather than becoming more at peace with ourselves and the rest of the universe, we seem to be breaking away, almost like a blackhole (which would also rely on perception and what we currently don't know about them).

Consciousness could be spiraling us down into that "dirt," for lack of a better association.

Please keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that that itself wouldn't be a part of the natural process of things. I just wonder if we're not looking at is ass-backward, so to speak.

Do you really find the world, 100 years ago more "evolved" than the current one?

The world is going through transitionary state. These are massive evolutions in society. Sure, you can look at the bad side-effects and say we're "devolving", but that's absolutely missing the forest for the trees.
We have very successfully integrated with technology, the world is globalising more and more, we are more connected than ever, we more aware about things in general, they're starting to transition past biological limits. And yeah, people do love complaining about things, but like look at the things they're complaing about. Some of it is dumb, some of it is perfectly valid too.

We exist as one tiny snapshot in the massive movie that is human evolution.
And we are absolutely evolving into something far greater than what we came from.

 

[Roni]

An organic lifeform is unfit for the realities of interstellar travel. Our job is no longer to evolve organically, but to become digital and unshackle ourselves from mortality.

It's either that or becoming a crab.

 

[Lord Panda]

Tough times create strong men, strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men, weak they/them create tough times.

 

[GeekyDad]

Do you really find the world, 100 years ago more "evolved" than the current one?

The world is going through transitionary state. These are massive evolutions in society. Sure, you can look at the bad side-effects and say we're "devolving", but that's absolutely missing the forest for the trees.
We have very successfully integrated with technology, the world is globalising more and more, we are more connected than ever, we more aware about things in general, they're starting to transition past biological limits. And yeah, people do love complaining about things, but like look at the things they're complaing about. Some of it is dumb, some of it is perfectly valid too.

We exist as one tiny snapshot in the massive movie that is human evolution.
And we are absolutely evolving into something far greater than what we came from.

Well, that's the crux of the point I'm considering. The "bad side-effects" are growing exponentially, and I'm not saying that as hyperbole. The successful integration of technology you referred to has come at an insanely high price with regards to, not just our health as a species, but the entire planet. We may have successfully integrated technology, but perhaps only as the device of our destruction.

Perhaps I'm not the one missing the forest for the trees.

 

[Raonak]

Well, that's the crux of the point I'm considering. The "bad side-effects" are growing exponentially, and I'm not saying that as hyperbole. The successful integration of technology you referred to has come at an insanely high price with regards to, not just our health as a species, but the entire planet. We may have successfully integrated technology, but perhaps only as the device of our destruction.

Perhaps I'm not the one missing the forest for the trees.

By most metrics human are better off than they've ever been. Poverty, hunger, health, etc are generally improving. The standard of living we operate in is very high. We literally are better off than most people of any point in the past.

Stuff like mental health and environment are fields that were rarely ever paid attention to in the past, now people are aware of it, and there are countless initiatives in play to reduce it. Most of these issues existed in the past, we just weren't aware enough as a society to understand it.

All forms of technology can be dangerous, but it's negatives are things that are worked out through iteration. To devolve would be stop the evolution of culture and technology.

Truth is, most of the issues of today, are just temporary issues. Because humans are very very good at solving them. Issues will constantly get resolved, and new issues will pop up.

That's just the chaotic nature of reality.

 

[THE DUCK]

Maybe ai will save us. Lol

 

[GeekyDad]

...Stuff like mental health and environment are fields that were rarely ever paid attention to in the past, now people are aware of it, and there are countless initiatives in play to reduce it. Most of these issues existed in the past, we just weren't aware enough as a society to understand it.

...

Fair point.

...To devolve would be stop the evolution of culture and technology.

...

Again, I suspect that is truly a matter of perspective. Perhaps we are, as the Indigo Girls once said, "closer to fine" by being more simplistic.

...Truth is, most of the issues of today, are just temporary issues.

...

I believe that too. However, I don't think the evidence is in yet on that.

 

[KrakenIPA]

Stars will be able to observe us.

 

[FunkMiller]

By most metrics human are better off than they've ever been. Poverty, hunger, health, etc are generally improving. The standard of living we operate in is very high. We literally are better off than most people of any point in the past.

This is the important point here. Take a look at any properly undertaken statistical analysis, and it's self evident that human progress continues apace.

Social media and the internet are not the place to come to for an accurate read on the state of human advancement.

 

[ClanOfNone]

It's not the right time to be sober
Now, the idiots have taken over
Spreading like a social cancer, is there an answer?
Mensa membership conceding
Tell me why and how are all the stupid people breeding?
Watson, it's really elementary
Industrial revolution
Has flipped the bitch on evolution
The benevolent and wise are being thwarted, ostracized
What a bummer
The world keeps getting dumber
Insensitivity is standard
And faith is being fancied over reason
Darwin's rolling over in his coffin
The fittest are surviving much less often
Now, everything seems to be reversing, and it's worsening
Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool
Now, angry mob mentality is no longer the exception, it's the rule
And I'm startin' to feel a lot like Charlton Heston
Stranded on a primate planet
Apes and orangutans that ran it to the ground
With generals and the armies that obeyed them
Followers following fables
Philosophies that enable them to rule without regard
There's no point for democracy when ignorance is celebrated
Political scientists get the same one vote as some Arkansas inbred
Majority rule, don't work in mental institutions
Sometimes, the smallest softest voice carries the grand biggest solutions
What are we left with?
A nation of god-fearing pregnant nationalists
Who feel it's their duty to populate the homeland
Pass on traditions
How to get ahead religions
And prosperity via simpleton culture (ah-)
The idiots are taking over
The idiots are taking over
The idiots are taking over