Is evolution a universal constant?

[tomdemaine]

Lets take it as read that the multiplicity of life on this planet was brought about through the non-random selection of randomly occourring vatiation (down sharkey). is it concievalbe that on some other planet creatures are 'evolving' without the process of natural selection or is it like the speed of light in that it is present throughout the universe?

Could there be a a system where species determined their own evolutionary path at the most simplistic level of explanation 'we need to see behind us lets grow eyes on our tails.' Where a creature could change it's DNA and give birth to a modified version of istelf.

The real point of this question is are humans destined to become this type of a creature? Have we stopped naturally evolving and will gene sequencing bring about deterministic evolution?

[Rduke55]

The idea is that as long as the prereq's are met in a population where more offspring are produced than can be supported that selection is inevitable.
I'd guess the only way around it is to get rid of some of those.

[AceofSpades]

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The real point of this question is are humans destined to become this type of a creature?

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Yes. The moral and ethical problems remain though. The real implications posed for society are serious. Should some level of genetic modification be a basic human right? Or will the rich get to make their children faster, smarter, healthier, more beautiful, etc, and the poor have to stick with the normal mode? This would lead to a vast increasing gap between the rich and poor, and possibly a caste system. Also, would you have the right to not be genetically modified in certain ways? Control of someone's genes is really an ultimate form of power over someone that cannot do anything about it and should be carefully regulated and very specific rules set into place that only allows for benefitial modifications.

[FredBoots]

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Lets take it as read that the multiplicity of life on this planet was brought about through the non-random selection of randomly occourring vatiation (down sharkey). is it concievalbe that on some other planet creatures are 'evolving' without the process of natural selection or is it like the speed of light in that it is present throughout the universe?

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There are alternative methods of evolution, like genetic drift and punctuated equilibrium. But natural selection is so elegant (limited resources + geometric population growth = differential survival) that I would say it is a universal constant.

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Could there be a a system where species determined their own evolutionary path at the most simplistic level of explanation 'we need to see behind us lets grow eyes on our tails.' Where a creature could change it's DNA and give birth to a modified version of istelf.

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Evolution doesn’t really work when the creature drives the bus. Trying to “engineer” complex systems is incredibly difficult. Besides, how would a creature re-code any biological changes back into its DNA (see Lamarckism)?

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The real point of this question is are humans destined to become this type of a creature?

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This is an interesting question. I do not believe that intelligent life is the ultimate inevitable result of evolution. The best theory on intelligence I’ve read is “arboreal clambering” (apes need self-conception to allow them to swing through fragile trees); this would make intelligence directly related to whether a planet can sustain trees. I do think it is inevitable that humans will start to drive the bus, and totally screw up our species DNA.

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Have we stopped naturally evolving and will gene sequencing bring about deterministic evolution?

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Evolution acts so slowly, it’s hard to tell if it has stopped, but certainly even small changes due to genetic modification are faster than evolution.

[Rduke55]

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Have we stopped naturally evolving

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I've been hearing people saying this a lot recently and it's not true. Unless genes replace themselves in the exact same proportions evolution is inevitable.

[AvivaSimplex]

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The real point of this question is are humans destined to become this type of a creature? Have we stopped naturally evolving and will gene sequencing bring about deterministic evolution?

[/ QUOTE ] It won't be gene sequencing, it'll be robotics. See the end of A.I..

[tolbiny]

Besides, how would a creature re-code any biological changes back into its DNA (see Lamarckism)?

Some plants do this. Lamarckism is back baby!!!