Natural Selection, a good thing.

Discussion in 'Pandora's Box' started by Kushjob, Aug 2, 2011.

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  1. #1 Kushjob, Aug 2, 2011
    Natural Selection - The process in nature by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations while those less adapted tend to be eliminated.

    I think of it like this, obesity, disease, handicaps, malformations, even homosexuality are all a process of Natural Selection.


    Obesity - Obesity contributes to many diseases, as well as a shorter life span than that of a 'normal' human. When you think of Obesity in the world, consider them to be of the percentage that natural selection will weed out in future generations.

    Disease - This one is self explanatory, although it is not always preventable, it does serve its purpose to kill off those not strong enough to thrive.

    Malformations - This one may be quite controversial, however those born with severe malformations (handicaps), without proper care, would die off in nature. This is especially true with animals in their natural habitat. Though we as humans take care of those born with birth effects, ultimately their life span will not be that long.

    Homosexuality - Two people of the same sex cannot conceive a child, though there are other means of doing it, I think of this as a great example of NS at work.

    Now to get to the point.

    When you think of the history of human beings (as far as we know it) we are constantly evolving and adapting to the environment in which we live in. Those in the past before us also did the same. But as technology evolves (it does play a crucial role in our environment) there also too is changes to natural selection.

    Perhaps I am different, but I think not. However, I look at death and famine, disease and obesity as a positive thing. The world is ever changing, and our population will change with it, or cease to exist. Now I believe natural selection isn't 100% natural, because we as a civilization have changed the environment ourselves, man made disasters, war, ect.

    My question to you, reader, is what is your take on all of it.
     
  2. #2 mushroomsatsuji, Aug 2, 2011
    My take is that we attempt to thwart natural selection at every turn.
     
  3. #3 Kushjob, Aug 2, 2011
    No one can escape death, just ask Houdini.
     
  4. #4 Casper The Don, Aug 2, 2011
    Nice topic.





    But diseases like AIDs kill anyone.
     
  5. #5 TranceKid, Aug 2, 2011
    I fkn love this thread. I agree 100% and certainly agree homosexuality is natural selection at it's finest.
     
  6. #6 riejgndtueodtrd, Aug 2, 2011

    A decent proportion of people are actually immune to the HIV virus and don't even know it. If HIV ever were to become a massive epidemic, those people would survive and others would die. Natural selection in the fast lane.
     
  7. #7 TheRedPill, Aug 2, 2011
    And kids who are stupid and ride their bikes into the street, natural selection.
     
  8. #8 skiibo, Aug 2, 2011
    As an EMT, my job is to prevent natural selection. Which is a strange feeling, because I'm also a zoology major.

    As for homosexuality, that really doesn't have much to do with natural selection. In order for a trait to be affected by natural selection it has to be something that would be passed from generation to generation. Homosexuality isn't hereditary or genetic.
     
  9. #9 chipmunkdude, Aug 2, 2011
    Whenever someone is in the news for dying doing something really stupid my dad says it's natural selection.
     
  10. #10 imidude, Aug 2, 2011
    a variation of natural selection is what Hitler used as justification for murdering millions of jews and other "undesirables". Yes natural selection is how our species evolved and is how nature is governed but as humans we have to think about the moral and ethical consequences.
     
  11. #11 Jazzyj, Aug 2, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 15, 2016
    Natural selections and eugenics are two very different things.
     
  12. #12 imidude, Aug 2, 2011
    ^no they aren't natural selection is natural and eugenics is just helping natural selection go faster by killing the people who are "weak" and breeding the people who are "strong". It is just human selective breeding plus the killing of the people who are deemed not fit to pass on their genes
     
  13. #13 skiibo, Aug 2, 2011

    Natural selection is the process that occurs when some members of a population are well adapted enough to overcome the challenges of nature and others aren't, so the ones who are well adapted survive and reproduce, causing a gradual shift in certain traits.

    Eugenics is when a group of people decide what traits are unacceptable and try to murder or sterilize anyone who has those traits. It may stem from the basic idea of natural selection, but it is an extremely different thing.
     
  14. #14 Jazzyj, Aug 2, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 15, 2016
    But natural selection really does favor the organisms with the best traits for their environment. Eugenics does not. Arbitrarily picking blond hair and blue eyes as the "strong" traits is not natural selection at all. It's racism.
     
  15. #15 gedio, Aug 2, 2011
    Conjecture.

    At the end of the day natural selection isn't relevant now, we've made it redundant. At least for the time being.
     
  16. #16 Kushjob, Aug 3, 2011
    Oh? Explain.
     
  17. #17 gedio, Aug 3, 2011
    Because all of the things you listed, all of those people can reproduce. People who are obese, disabled, diseased (not all diseases mind) can reproduce. Even gay people can surrogate or donate sperm. Even people who fail in the society we have created reproduce and health care (at least in western society) is extremely effective, we haven't really left any room for natural selection.
     
  18. #18 sodomizedjello, Aug 3, 2011

    i think you may be on to something... but it may or may not be what you hope to be on to :eek:

    recent studies suggest that the female relatives of male homosexuals are actually more fertile than other females. it could be that nature is selecting for homosexual males as a trade off for more fertile females in the first ever sexually antagonistic trait observed in humans.

    source: Genetics Behind Male Homosexuality Could Be Explained By Sexually Antagonistic Selection
     
  19. #19 Kushjob, Aug 3, 2011

    They may be anatomically capable of reproducing, but given societies standards of what is attractive, they may not all end up reproducing.

    There is ALWAYS room for natural selection
     
  20. #20 skiibo, Aug 3, 2011
    you do not understand the concept of natural selection. homosexuality is not genetic and it is not hereditary, and therefore has absolutely nothing to do with natural selection. at all. The only way it would is if gay people produced gay children, which is not the case.
     
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