Matt> --- Hank Conn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> On 12/1/06, Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The "goals >> of humanity", like all other species, was determined by > >> evolution. > It is to propagate the species. >> >> >> That's not the goal of humanity. That's the goal of the evolution >> of humanity, which has been defunct for a while.
Matt> We have slowed evolution through medical advances, birth control Matt> and genetic engineering, but I don't think we have stopped it Matt> completely yet. I don't know what reason there is to think we have slowed evolution, rather than speeded it up. I would hazard to guess, for example, that since the discovery of birth control, we have been selecting very rapidly for people who choose to have more babies. In fact, I suspect this is one reason why the US (which became rich before most of the rest of the world) has a higher birth rate than Europe. Likewise, I expect medical advances in childbirth etc are selecting very rapidly for multiple births (which once upon a time often killed off mother and child.) I expect this, rather than or in addition to the effects of fertility drugs, is the reason for the rise in multiple births. etc. ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303
