Adaptation and evolution go hand in hand. Unfortunately the human race is no longer evolving. Why, you ask?
Harvey Fineberg, medical ethicist, provides insight into why this is. My understanding of this concept is not as thorough as his but it is clear that a species that evolves is the one that best adapts to its environment.
Fineberg claims that we as a species are no longer evolving, changing, adapting for two main reasons. One, because of advances in medicine we have enabled humans to live with genes that would normally be selected out. Such as some diseases. Two, we as a species, have configured our environment so effectively that it adapts to us. We do this through architecture, manipulation of landscape and many other ways.
So until there is isolation among populations of people or environmental changes that we will need to adapt to we will remain the same. Fineberg talks about the colonization of the moon or another plant being necessary in order to create those conditions.
He also goes on to explain Neo-Evolution which is how he believes we will need to engage in to evolve.
I propose that he is probably right about the physical evolution of people. This will be an issue in the long run but where is there is a problem there is also an opportunity. While we are not physically evolving, this is the perfect opportunity to develop and foster mental evolution. This generation will pass on genes of those people who are capable to thinking abstractly and creatively enough to solve these world problems ushering in a new generation of great thinkers. These people will be able to adapt to new environments like the internet; digital environments which we create.
The Art Of Adaptation: Get involved in the discussion on evolution and engage mentally with progress in technology. Damn it…. get Facebook and Twitter.
What do you think about the trajectory of evolution and the path it is now on?
Post your comments and check out Fineberg’s TEDTalk.
