Evolution and Man Where are We Going?

by D wiltshire 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  D wiltshire

  Evolution and Man Where are We Going?

  I feel evolution is still happening to man not so observable
  in his physical appearance but very outstandingly in the Brain.

  Here's an observation of mine, and others: First let me quote Amazing

  Records strongly suggest that civilization goes back over 10,000 years. The recently found Kennewick Man was among these civilizes humans, and his remains test back as far as 9800 years. The evidence that the Egyptian Pyramids, such as the Great Pyramid at Giza, are at least 10,000 years old.

  When we look at how far man has come in understanding his world in just 10,000 years
  evolution of the minds abilities to grasp a more
  and more clearer understanding of his world(what's out there)
  Look how far man has gotten in 10,000 years
  to the point through his use of his IMAGINATION to develop
  the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.
  A strong point for the mind's ability progressively
  to understand the world outside is an evolution of the mind
  that recorded history clearly shows.
  Look at his progressive ability to understand
  the impossible to see(visually) space time warp created by gravity.

  Also the FACT that Life imitates Art.

  Look at the evolution of paintings over the last 500 or so years.
  From the bland with lack of perspective to the painting of well defined, and recognizable figures in
  3 dimensional space with perspective to,
  1906-1908 the cubist concentration of 2 dimensional
  surfaces with the focus entirely on the element of vision.
  Then the Surreal movement 1920-1960s. This type of art required radical independence from the external world that MATHEMATICAL THINKING HAD ALREADY achieved earlier.

  A very interesting thing about some of these
  very radical works of art:
  In 1958 George Schmidt, an art historian had an exhibition
  entitled "Form in Art and Nature"
  The exhibit presented a number of painting that were
  purely abstract and all from the 20th century, and along side of these paintings hung photos of,
  microscope images some from electron microscopes in which great similarities
  can be seen in the art a long side them. Even though painted long before the photos were taken.
  Coincidence????? Or is the mind(subconscience) seeing and understanding a lot more of the world than we realize?

  I got this from the Book "The Twin Dimensions" Excellent!
  Just some food for thought.

  If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?
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  JanH

  DW,

  Interesting thoughts. However, it is important to realize that biological evolution only works on one factor: an individual's ability to bring his genes on by having offspring. So to see what, if any, evolutionary changes occur in humans today, we will have to look at what factors improve childbirth and survival into childbearing age.

  The answer is, of course, not many biological factors at all. A chemist I know suggested that immunity (or allergy) to the pill in women could propagate in our gene pool. Also, he joked, so would allergy to rubber.

  A more worrying possibility is that intelligent people are -- on the average -- having less children than "dumb" people. If this is the case, then evolution will lead to a falling intelligence over generations. So far improvements in healthcare and nutrition has outweighted any such (totally hypothetical) factor in determining human intelligence.

  All in all I think biological evolution is a very small force in our development today, apart from "maintaining" our genes by removing factors that leads to an early death (e.g. our bodies are very effective in avoiding cancer up to and thru our childbearing age, then it goes downhill). Evolution is after all a slow force, and technology and social structures change and adapt so much more quickly. Yet, we have some billion years of biological evolution inside us, and for better or worse, they influence our lives far more than wost like to admit.

  - Jan
  --
  The believer is happy. The doubter is wise.
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  D wiltshire

  JAN,

  Hell-ow!

  I thank you for your presents.
  But I have a Question:

  A more worrying possibility is that intelligent people are -- on the average -- having less children than "dumb" people. If this is the case, then evolution will lead to a falling intelligence over generations. So far improvements in healthcare and nutrition has outweighted any such (totally hypothetical) factor in determining human intelligence.

  What Makes You able to say who is dumb?

  If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?
• 

  aChristian

  Dave,

  Though Jan and I do not always agree, on this issue we do. It took the human race about 4 billion years to evolve to where it is today. The evolution of modern man was a very slow process. I have a hard time believing that any significant evolutionary change in our race could occur in just a few hundred years. I also see no real evidence that it has.

  I believe it is the opinion of scientific experts in the field of human evolution that people's brains, and bodies for that matter, have not changed in any noticeable way over the last 10,000 years. I believe the actual number of years they cite for this period of time is a much larger one. Things you have read that were said to be "evidence" to that effect, such as the development of the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as the evolution of paintings during the last few hundred years are, I believe, anecdotal evidence at best.

  I believe the only reason we now appear to be intellectual giants compared to "ancient" people, and even compared to people who lived just a few hundred years ago, is because we are, so to speak, standing on their shoulders. Today scientists, philosophers and even artists all have the advantage of being able to build upon nearly ten thousand years worth of work that was previously accomplished and recorded by those who lived before them. What if Galileo or Leonardo had been born today, rather than a few hundred years ago, and could build upon the work of men such as Newton and Einstein? Can you imagine how much more "evolved" their minds would now seem?
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  D wiltshire

  aC,

  Today scientists, philosophers and even artists all have the advantage of being able to build upon nearly ten thousand years worth of work that was previously accomplished and recorded by those who lived before them. What if Galileo or Leonardo had been born today, rather than a few hundred years ago, and could build upon the work of men such as Newton and Einstein? Can you imagine how much more "evolved" their minds would now seem?

  I agree on this. But when you think of the changes that have occurred from ape to man. That a very great great jump, but it happen in incremants just like we see here in 10,000 years! Think about it please.

  If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?
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  Satanus

  Interesting thoughts dwilt

  Another area, concurrent or a subpart of human evolution is how we use energy. Fire was likely the first technology after the human arm, leg or back. Animal energy, mechanical energy equipment such as bows, ballistas, wind power, gears etc were developed. Later on iron smelting allowed the development of steam power. Gunpowder must have been revolutionary. Electricity, gasoline motors then nuclear energy came on line.

  Recently, following the multiple mars probe falures, nasa has been exploring new energy sources. Among other sources, one it was seriously looking at was vacuum energy or the casimir effect. This is latent energy, possibly infinite, that is hidden in the vacuum of outer space and also everywhere else. No doubt there is limitless energy available from exotic sources. It waits for us to develop the appropriate technology to extract and harness it.

  For millenia the chinese have have been playing w a subtle energy we call chi/qi . They have developed martial arts, acupuncture, qi gong and shiatsu, based on this energy form. A more potent form of this energy is kundalini, which can cause harmful effects, if released wrongly. My thought, dwilt, is that possibly, as the technology of energy manipulation develops and the mind/brain evolves, that future generations may be able to learn how to do some of this with the mind/brain directly.

  SS

  Ps dragon balls here we come
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  D wiltshire

  Very interesting SS!

  Have you read the book "The Twin Dimensions"?

  If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?

  Good SS, I hope you get it and read it.I don't think the book uses the word God much if at all, but when I read it that's all I can think of!
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  Satanus

  Dwilt

  No, i havn't. Checking amazon, it seems to be out of print.

  SS
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  2SYN

  Human brains are very curious things, and we know so little about how they TRULY operate - we're a bit like cavemen trying to understand the internal functioning of Direct3D.

  There is a lot going on in that bunch of neurons than we can see right now - all of your neural impulses are generated not at an electronic, visible level, but at the quantum level, which we cannot really view at our present technological state. This means that we cannot even BEGIN to understand our own minds yet.

  Maybe some day...
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  aChristian

  Dave,

  I am not saying that an evolutionary advance in the mind of man could not occur in a relatively short period of time. I am just saying that I see no evidence that one has. And I do not believe any credible scientist has suggested that such a change has taken place.

  I also think that such a change is unlikely. For if a few mentally advanced human "mutants" did appear on earth they would most likely be the children of parents who possessed greater than average intelligence. And, as Jan has pointed out, most people possessing greater than average intelligence have fewer children than people possessing less than average intelligence. If this trend continues, the odds will work against the human race producing any such "advanced" children. But, even if such an evolutionary leap does occur, for these evolutionary advancements to survive within the human race and eventually bring about an improvement in our entire race, the few humans who then possess this advanced intelligence will have to then themselves produce offspring at a much greater rate than ordinary humans.

  Now, you seem to feel that such a change may have already occurred in our race as a whole over the last few hundred years. I would have to see strong evidence of this to be convinced.