[ExI] Lethal future was Watson on NOVA

[Darren Greer]

>is an indication that reproduction isn't as strong a drive as we
thought.<

Either it's not as strong or that human beings can extract themselves from
evolutionary mandated behavior. Some individuals and groups of individuals
seem to be able to do it with aggression and dominance and tribal
mentalities, and others don't. The question I have is this: do these
individuals and groups adapt out of these behaviors by selection pressures
over generational periods based on location (like living in cities for
example where xenophobia makes life more difficult and not less so.) Or can
you consciously remove yourself from evolutionary imperatives by force of
will, or education, or both?

I would think, by looking at the Internet and knowing the people that I do,
that the drive to have sex may be as strong as ever. But the need in certain
populations to have progeny result from it is reduced. Once again,
technology, and the relaxation in certain cultures of tribal laws and
strictures limiting sexual behavior, have influenced the biological result,
but perhaps have not influenced the drive at all.

d.



On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 12:55 PM, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 09:13:44AM -0700, Keith Henson wrote:
>
> > The fact that we don't see massive scale manipulation of matter and
> > energy indicates that this has not yet happened in our light cone.
>
> We're not in their light cone. Origin being the time they started
> expanding visibly.
>
> > That doesn't mean it could not happen here.
> >
> > The human population growth falling below replacement in some places
>
> I don't think this will last. Subpopulations still grow exponentially.
> This is being masked for time being for select location, but the
> question is for how long.
>
> > is an indication that reproduction isn't as strong a drive as we
> > thought.
> >
> > Still, to get the observed universe, we have to be wrong on something.
> >
> > Perhaps there is a relatively simple way to escape from the universe.
>
> Not every time. Not one which can recall those already on the way.
>
> In general, I wonder about the need for the obvious explanation: yes,
> we're rare, and we're the first about to start expanding (assuming we
> won't fall flat on our face, and can't get up).
>
> --
> Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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