On Dec 31, 5:53 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote:
> I can imagine a plan, but then I can imagine large blue ribbits (no
> typo). Sue told me to sod off out of the kitchen this afternoon and
> do some 'man's work'. Now I'm being shunted off to the smoking
> room. I fixed the car and drove it to the pub for a quick one
> during the test-phase. Having found a half-empty packet of Bensons
> I've just had a sly fag. A life in gender equality slides away! A
> quick cap tug and "Happy New Year Ma'am" to Gabbers. It has been a
> merry old domestic violence Xmas next door. Half the kids growing up
> in such circumstances are known to be directly abused. Large scale
> eugenics may be on the way in new, larger, better and more profitable
> wars. I see no plan there either, though suspect there may be one.
> That life ain't sweet does not logically exclude a god with a plan -
> he'd look like Baldrick in my version. We can't logically exclude the
> possibility our creator was just a mad scientist who dumped this
> universe as a failure. I had a blissful chat with a guy remembering a
> British Legion Club with real ale two of three miles up the canal from
> Stockton Heath towards Lymm. Small mercies no doubt. For those who
> would like to know more of evolution, I can only say there is now more
> free at New Scientist and the site is worth a visit.
> What is obvious is that we could choose to educate ourselves better
> and plan on the basis of evidence, rather than read the poison oracles
> whilst slitting chickens open. No women allowed in the bar of the
> Crooked Hooker Gabby - but there's a nice little, rather pink ladies'
> room. Not a sexists matter, one understands, it's just no women have
> played for or against that rugby club yet and that is the determining
> inclusive factor for entry. I was once a very crooked hooker, but as
> a rugby league man, am still barred from the Crooked Hooker. My sin
> was to take match fees before they became fashionable in union. Which
> books should we smoke in the library of exclusion Chaz?
I'm not advocating any book burning. We have things to learn from them
all.
>
> On 30 Dec, 22:34, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Sorry dear, this IS the smoking room: ladies not allowed.
>
> > On Dec 30, 9:29 pm, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > Would the gentlemen please go over to the library and smoke there.
> > > Thank you.
>
> > > On 30 Dez., 18:47, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > > Reminds me of a joke.
>
> > > > What is the difference between a truck load of babies and a truck load
> > > > of ping pong balls????
>
> > > > ..
> > > > .
>
> > > > You can't unload a truck load of ping pong balls with a pitch-fork.
>
> > > > On Dec 30, 4:52 pm, "Chris Jenkins" <[email protected]>
> > > > wrote:
>
> > > > > Hmmm...you have a point there, mate.
>
> > > > > On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 11:35 AM, Pat
> > > > > <[email protected]>wrote:
>
> > > > > > On 30 Dec, 02:15, "Chris Jenkins" <[email protected]>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > Having a fuckload of babies certainly ups the chances, mate... ;)
>
> > > > > > Isn't ANY load of babies, technically, a fuckload, though? ;-)
>
> > > > > > > On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 8:53 PM, chazwin <[email protected]>
> > > > > > > wrote:
>
> > > > > > > > On Dec 29, 4:45 am, "Chris Jenkins" <[email protected]>
> > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > > > Survival of the fittest is indeed commonly misunderstood, most
> > > > > > especially
> > > > > > > > > when it comes to humans. It's not survival of those most fit
> > > > > > > > > to
> > > > > > survive.
> > > > > > > > > It's survival of those most likely to procreate, and so it
> > > > > > > > > has been
> > > > > > > > through
> > > > > > > > > out all of evolution.
>
> > > > > > > > Actually it is those who are able to produce successful
> > > > > > > > offspring in
> > > > > > > > their given environment.
> > > > > > > > Procreation is not enough in itself.
>
> > > > > > > > > And so it is that those with nought else to do but rock the
> > > > > > > > > bedposts
> > > > > > turn
> > > > > > > > > out children at three times the rate... ;)
>
> > > > > > > > > On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 11:30 PM, archytas
> > > > > > > > > <[email protected]>
> > > > > > > > wrote:
>
> > > > > > > > > > The phrase "survival of fittest" is widely misunderstood
> > > > > > > > > > Many
> > > > > > wrongly
> > > > > > > > > > assume it means that evolution always increases the chances
> > > > > > > > > > of a
> > > > > > > > > > species surviving. Evolution sometimes results in
> > > > > > > > > > individuals or
> > > > > > > > > > populations becoming less fit and may occasionally even
> > > > > > > > > > lead to
> > > > > > > > > > extinction.
>
> > > > > > > > > > There are several ways in which evolution can reduce the
> > > > > > > > > > overall
> > > > > > > > > > fitness of individuals or of populations. For starters,
> > > > > > > > > > natural
> > > > > > > > > > selection can take place at different levels - genes,
> > > > > > > > > > individuals,
> > > > > > > > > > groups - and what promotes the survival of a gene does not
> > > > > > necessarily
> > > > > > > > > > increase the fitness of the individuals carrying it, or of
> > > > > > > > > > groups
> > > > > > of
> > > > > > > > > > these individuals.
>
> > > > > > > > > > For example, parasitic DNA elements, or transposons, can
> > > > > > > > > > spread
> > > > > > > > > > through a population even though they make their host
> > > > > > > > > > organisms
> > > > > > less
> > > > > > > > > > fit. Transposons are one cause of genetic diseases such as
> > > > > > > > > > haemophilia.
>
> > > > > > > > > > Similarly, selfish individuals may thrive at the expense of
> > > > > > altruistic
> > > > > > > > > > individuals in a group - making them the "fittest" - even
> > > > > > > > > > though
> > > > > > they
> > > > > > > > > > make the group as a whole less competitive. Such cheaters
> > > > > > > > > > can have
> > > > > > > > > > disastrous consequences.
>
> > > > > > > > > > In 1932, J. B. S. Haldane suggested this could even lead to
> > > > > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > > extinction of populations - a phenomenon called evolutionary
> > > > > > suicide.
> > > > > > > > > > Models and some experimental evidence suggest he was right.
>
> > > > > > > > > > For instance, when nutrients run low, individual
> > > > > > > > > > myxobacteria
> > > > > > (slime
> > > > > > > > > > bacteria) may come together to form a fruiting body to
> > > > > > > > > > produce
> > > > > > spores.
> > > > > > > > > > Lab studies have shown that cheating myxobacteria that only
> > > > > > > > > > produce
> > > > > > > > > > spores and never help form the non-spore producing parts of
> > > > > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > > > fruiting body can drive populations to extinction.
>
> > > > > > > > > > Genes capable of driving populations to extinction might
> > > > > > > > > > have a
> > > > > > > > > > practical use, however. Biologists are exploring the
> > > > > > > > > > possibility of
> > > > > > > > > > releasing engineered parasitic DNA into populations of
> > > > > > > > > > malaria-
> > > > > > > > > > carrying mosquitoes.
>
> > > > > > > > > > There is concern that something similar could happen
> > > > > > > > > > accidentally.
> > > > > > > > > > Fish that have been genetically modified to produce a growth
> > > > > > hormone
> > > > > > > > > > grow faster and larger, mature earlier and produce more
> > > > > > > > > > eggs. But
> > > > > > they
> > > > > > > > > > are less likely to survive in the wild than unmodified fish.
> > > > > > According
> > > > > > > > > > to the Trojan gene hypothesis, a gene variant that produces
> > > > > > > > > > such
> > > > > > > > > > characteristics could spread rapidly through a wild
> > > > > > > > > > population
> > > > > > despite
> > > > > > > > > > reducing individual fitness, and eventually drive the
> > > > > > > > > > population to
> > > > > > > > > > extinction.
>
> > > > > > > > > > Another way in which evolution can reduce a species'
> > > > > > > > > > chances of
> > > > > > > > > > survival is through the accumulation of detrimental
> > > > > > > > > > mutations.
> > > > > > > > > > Mutations provide the vital raw material for natural
> > > > > > > > > > selection, so
> > > > > > if
> > > > > > > > > > the mutation rate is too low a population will not be able
> > > > > > > > > > to
> > > > > > evolve
> > > > > > > > > > fast enough to keep up with environmental changes.
>
> > > > > > > > > > If, on the other hand, a population's mutation rate is too
> > > > > > > > > > high,
> > > > > > > > > > detrimental mutations may accumulate faster than natural
> > > > > > > > > > selection
> > > > > > can
> > > > > > > > > > eliminate them. Eventually, the number of mutations can
> > > > > > > > > > exceed the
> > > > > > > > > > "error catastrophe threshold", again leading to the
> > > > > > > > > > extinction of a
> > > > > > > > > > population.
>
> > > > > > > > > > In theory, any species with a very small population could
> > > > > > accumulate
> > > > > > > > > > deleterious mutations faster than it can eliminate them. The
> > > > > > problem
> > > > > > > > > > is especially severe for asexual organisms such as the
> > > > > > > > > > Amazon molly
> > > > > > -
> > > > > > > > > > an effect known as Muller's rachet.
>
> > > > > > > > > > It is far less of a problem for sexually reproducing species
> > > > > > because
> > > > > > > > > > the exchange of genetic material between chromosomes can
> > > > > > > > > > separate
> > > > > > good
> > > > > > > > > > and bad mutations. Some unlucky offspring get saddled with
> > > > > > > > > > lots of
> > > > > > > > > > nasty mutations and die out, while the lucky ones get
> > > > > > > > > > hardly any.
>
> > > > > > > > > > In theory, a mutation catastrophe can also occur as a
> > > > > > > > > > result of
> > > > > > > > > > linkage. This refers to gene variants that are inherited
> > > > > > > > > > together
> > > > > > > > > > because they sit next to each other on a chromosome.
> > > > > > > > > > Suppose a
> > > > > > > > > > mutation that greatly increases the mutation rate somehow
> > > > > > > > > > ends up
> > > > > > next
> > > > > > > > > > to a new mutation that greatly increases fitness. The
> > > > > > > > > > immediate
> > > > > > > > > > fitness benefits of the beneficial mutation will initially
> > > > > > > > > > mask the
> > > > > > > > > > deleterious effects of the "mutator" mutation, meaning both
> > > > > > mutations
> > > > > > > > > > will rapidly sweep through a population, ultimately with
> > > > > > > > > > disastrous
> > > > > > > > > > consequences.
>
> > > > > > > > > > A few doctors hope to exploit mutation accumulation to treat
> > > > > > diseases.
> > > > > > > > > > Certain viruses such as HIV are already close to the error
> > > > > > catastrophe
> > > > > > > > > > threshold. Drugs that increase the mutation rate of the
> > > > > > > > > > viruses
> > > > > > still
> > > > > > > > > > further might push them over the threshold and drive a
> > > > > > > > > > population
> > > > > > of
> > > > > > > > > > viruses
>
> ...
>
> read more »
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
""Minds Eye"" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
