That makes no sense.
Scientists who assume human evolution has stopped. Trigger: This article from Psychology Today.
- True?
Yes. It is true it doesn’t make sense to me. - Sure?
No, that is not true. I understand their arguments, but it goes against what seems to make more sense to me so I tell myself it doesn’t make sense. - What happens when I take that story as true?
- I make my own familiar stories true, and their stories wrong.
- I get slightly annoyed, agitated, restless. I go into stories of why I am right and they are wrong.
- There is a large pool of humans alive today, so greater variation for natural selection to select from.
- The circumstances (ecosystems, cultures etc.) these humans live within became more varied with agriculture and civilizations, and are now more varied than ever before, which gives plenty of opportunity for natural selection to take place.
- Humans have developed in a range of different climates and ecosystems, which has to be reflected in natural selection. (Just look at the most obvious results of this, skin tone and body type.)
- Humans have been and are exposed to a wide range of illnesses and diseases, probably far more than at any other time, which also has to be reflected in natural selection.
- Our food has changed dramatically with cooking, and varies a good deal among ecosystems and cultures. Again, some will be better adapted than others to the diet of their ecosystem and culture, which has to be reflected through natural selection.
- There are new pressures today, such as toxins, and some will be better adapted to it than others.
- Natural selection can happen quickly. If the pressures are strong enough there is a tight bottle neck, and only one generation is enough. If a little less strong, then maybe just a few generations.
- Even just a tiny advantage will have a significant impact over several generations.
- And that includes, for instance, the impact that healthy and well functioning grandparents can have on their grandchild’s survival and life. This impact can be quite significant and has to be reflected in natural selection. If people live longer and can help their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to a healthy and well functioning life, then those traits will have an advantage and will be passed on.
- If anything, I would assume human evolution has sped up over the last few thousands of years, for the above reasons.
- Who would I be without it?
- Receptive. Curious. Interested in their view, finding the validity in it. Curious about how these and other views fit together, and what stories fit the current data best.
- Mainly, I am interested in how the different views fits the data, the research done in this field. Which view(s) seem to fit the best?
- Also, I am curious about why I am so attached to a story of continued human evolution. Is it because I have a general view of flux and change? Does this show me that I am more attached to that story than I realized? And maybe also a story of diversity and increasing diversity, including at a biological level?
- Turnarounds.
- That makes sense.
- Yes, I can understand their arguments, even if I don’t like it.
- I make no sense.
- Right. This is all about the data, what is found through research, and I don’t know enough about it to say which main story fits it the best, stopped evolution or continued/accelerated evolution.
- My thinking makes no sense.
- Yes. Whenever a thought is taken as true, my thinking does not make very much sense. In this case, it becomes quite one-sided and I try to argue for a particular view without knowing much about the field at all (which is pretty silly), and without knowing much about which views fit with the current data.
- That makes sense.