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The Phantom Time Hypothesis

Started by Unbeliever, October 06, 2018, 08:34:16 PM

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trdsf

Quote from: SGOS on October 12, 2018, 10:35:01 AM
I read someplace, and I can't remember the percentage, but it's mind bogglingly high.  Something like 99.9% of all species that ever existed have gone extinct.  Animals too bizarre to imagine are kaput.  What the thing didn't say is that all species are constantly evolving.  It's just that for all practical purposes, nothing evolves out of the species stage.  If you look at it statistically, our chances for survival are nothing short of dismal, even if we don't turn out to be the engineers of our own extinction.

Depending on when you arbitrarily set the beginning of mankind, we could say that hundreds of thousands of years of evolution led to something so specifically well adapted to our current environment.  And it was just all a waste of perfectly good DNA.
The open question right now is whether (or how much) our ability to create localized environments with artificial heat and cooling in otherwise hostile environments impacts our evolution -- we no longer have to evolve to fit a niche, we can create our own suitable niche wherever we like.

Also, the technology is not far off for being able to edit human genes prior to in vitro fertilization.  We could -- by accident or by design -- create our own successor species.  I think it's going to be a long time before embryonic human genetic editing is approved, however.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Unbeliever

Quote from: trdsf on October 12, 2018, 03:13:30 PM
I think it's going to be a long time before embryonic human genetic editing is approved, however.

That may be the case here in the U.S.A., but there's a big scary world out there where people don't give a crap what the U.S.A. likes or doesn't like. If it's possible, I expect someone, somewhere, will do it.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

Quote from: Unbeliever on October 12, 2018, 04:04:33 PM
That may be the case here in the U.S.A., but there's a big scary world out there where people don't give a crap what the U.S.A. likes or doesn't like. If it's possible, I expect someone, somewhere, will do it.

Korea claims they already do it.  England already combines human DNA with other target animals (including sheep).
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: trdsf on October 11, 2018, 09:18:49 PM
I would like to hope that both -- we ought to have evolved into something definitely not homo sapiens by then.

We will probably be homo sapiens for a very long time.  Our evolution in the standard sense is likely over.  We are the only Homo left and not likely to speciate.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

trdsf

Quote from: Cavebear on October 14, 2018, 06:01:57 AM
We will probably be homo sapiens for a very long time.  Our evolution in the standard sense is likely over.  We are the only Homo left and not likely to speciate.
Not until we permanently occupy the Moon and Mars and have permanent space settlements, no.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Cavebear

Quote from: trdsf on October 14, 2018, 02:35:47 PM
Not until we permanently occupy the Moon and Mars and have permanent space settlements, no.

Thinking of "Belters"?  I bet we don't live that long (its going to take longer than we think to get "out there" routinely.  I hope I'm wrong, but I won't be around to know.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Jason78

Quote from: Unbeliever on October 06, 2018, 08:34:16 PM
Should we give it any credence?

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Winner of WitchSabrinas Best Advice Award 2012


We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real
tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -Plato

Jason78

Quote from: Baruch on October 12, 2018, 07:04:49 PM
England already combines human DNA with other target animals (including sheep).

Wtf is this nonsense?
Winner of WitchSabrinas Best Advice Award 2012


We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real
tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -Plato

trdsf

Quote from: Cavebear on October 14, 2018, 02:46:04 PM
Thinking of "Belters"?  I bet we don't live that long (its going to take longer than we think to get "out there" routinely.  I hope I'm wrong, but I won't be around to know.
I didn't say anything about when... I don't expect to live to see permanent settlements anywhere other than maybe on the Moon, and that'll be a Chinese base because we can't get our shit together.

But once humans are living off Earth permanently, that's by definition a new environment that they will evolve to better suit, even if it's only the gravity -- or lack thereof.
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Baruch

#39
Quote from: Jason78 on October 14, 2018, 05:36:08 PM
Wtf is this nonsense?

For almost a generation now ... DNA splicing different from chimeras ....

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2000/jul/02/genetics.theobserver

Current chimeras ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-animal-hybrids-chimeras-us-science-a6806516.html

I am sure Dr Moreau or Dr Mengele would approve ... as will scifi fans and fans of monster movies ... enter Dr Frankenstein stage Left ...

It is silly to deny, what Google can easily find, yes?
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.