We make way too many assumptions about the nature of evolution, without questioning true, false, or irrelevant. I will talk here about three:
-- humans are the focus of evolution. Not! In probability, as Verbal Vol wrote here, the water bear (http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/tardigrade/index.html) can survive far beyond homo sapiens, but there is no clue as to what it will become, or even in which direction. Evolution is a random process. In a complex organism, such as man, there are random genetic and memetic changes that may result in one effect or another. It is not a compliment to say a human is "evolved."
-- the same rules apply to human behaviors as to human organisms. We've seen the work of evolution physically. Examples are the duckbill platypus, and elephants -- truly odd contraptions. And, as well, we've seen the work of evolution behaviorally. The process that built the platypus, also built war, the Macarena, and Congress (and legislation).
-- this is the best of all possible worlds.
There are many more that may expand the list, or be in subsets or supersets of the matters on this list.
-- Kilgore Forelle
No comments:
Post a Comment