The human race is alledgedly progressing all the time. Do people really evolve or do they simply adapt? Technology is rapidly being developed and we call that progress but do people themselves change. We have learned to use technology but we still do not know how ancient people managed to transport huge blocks of stone to build what we call Stonehenge. The technology 'they' used was very different to what we know today. It seems they they could do anything with nothing. Do we really believe that babies are born with "different" or improved brains to our ancestors or grandparents even? Maybe the Chancellor of Hallam university (RW) is "jive" talking, telling us what he thinks we want to hear! What do you think?

I hearby post a poll: Evolve or Adapt?

It's a good question.

I suppose adaptation is non-genetic? For example, we accomodate and adapt to changes in a single generation, and then we pass on the adaptations in terms of education, social mores, etc.

To evolve we'd need numerous generations and chhanges to the underlying basic capabilities of the human organism. Flying by building an aircraft or being surgically modified is adaptation; the organism developing the wherewithall to fly so that each baby is born with the wings, metabolism and lighter body would be evolution. Would we count it as evolution if the first generation of flying rugrats was genetically engineered? Would they be adaptations and their offspring would evolve?

Woooo......heavy for a Sunday Morning! Good topic though!

Joe

adaptation applies to individuals, evolution to species.
I doubt we've been studying ourselves for enough generations to see any evidence of evolution. Although there is anecdotal evidence from our more recent history.
For example, western people have a gene that causes them to produce lactase, an enzyme used to digest dairy products. Eastern people don't have this gene. Westerners domesticised the cow about 10,000 years ago, Eastern people did have cattle until very recently.
It's not clear cut, as we have no record of westerners without that gene, but we do know that people from all over the world originated from the same place, so any regional variation is in an indication of evolution.

Evolve and adapt are more or less the same term. Evolution is a cumulation of adaptations.

But the original question seems to be about society evolving, not physical adaptation. Society is certianly evolving, and people are adapting to new circumstances. Just in the last few years, geoploitical events have caused huge changes to how economies are organised.

Physically, the human race is definately evolving. It happens at scales that can be seen, such as the lactose production example given above. What we are evolving into is not really clear. Bits of this and that, I suppose. Certianly no overall pattern towards brilliance.

BTW, we certainly DO know how Stonehenge was built. There are no particularly miraculous elements to it, just some rather precise alignments and labourious quarrying. It is a mistake to imagine some missing technology.

At the rate we're turning this planet into a poisonous wasteland we need to do some pretty rapid evolving if we're not going to become extinct through drowning in our own excrement.

An' come on Oxbeast....everybody knows Stonehenge was dumped there by ETs as an inter-stellar beacon. Same with the Pyramids...'cept of course it was a rival gang of ETs.

They're really monitoring the atmosphere to let these ETs know when the oxygen level gets too low for us to survive and then these carbon monoxide breathing ETs come in and take over. Simple really when you think about it, - and it won't be long now :loopy: