What is the aim of evolution?

[dingnecros]

Was seeing some video regrading the evolution/religion bull crap and a question came to my mind.

"Does evolution aim to evolve the brain or does evolution aim to to evolve the body?"

If survival of the fittest theory is applied then it means that evolution aims to evolve the body, but if concept of technologically/mentally advanced species is taken into account as in sci-fi movies, literature and aliens then most of them involve abilities associated with higher functions of the brain.

So what is the ultimate aim of evolution? to make physically adept or to make mentally adept variants of species ??

 

[BlackTigers]

there is no evolution.

god put us here

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: dingnecros
Was seeing some video regrading the evolution/religion bull crap and a question came to my mind.

"Does evolution aim to evolve the brain or does evolution aim to to evolve the body?"

If survival of the fittest theory is applied then it means that evolution aims to evolve the body, but if concept of technologically/mentally advanced species is taken into account as in sci-fi movies, literature and aliens then most of them involve abilities associated with higher functions of the brain.

So what is the ultimate aim of evolution? to make physically adept or to make mentally adept variants of species ??

no, just no.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: dingnecros
Was seeing some video regrading the evolution/religion bull crap and a question came to my mind.

"Does evolution aim to evolve the brain or does evolution aim to to evolve the body?"

If survival of the fittest theory is applied then it means that evolution aims to evolve the body, but if concept of technologically/mentally advanced species is taken into account as in sci-fi movies, literature and aliens then most of them involve abilities associated with higher functions of the brain.

So what is the ultimate aim of evolution? to make physically adept or to make mentally adept variants of species ??

Not necessarily. Survival of the fittest != survival of the physically fittest. We are more fit to survive because we developed advanced brains.

 

[Nitemare]

growing of stinking paws off and dirty body hair

 

[dethman]

evolutions means different things to different species. think cockroaches and humans. both are fit, but in different ways.

mmm...makes me think of the cockroach bat guano scene in planet earth.

 

[Jeff7]

The "aim" is survival. Survival is a sort of side effect that is also what allows evolution to take place. I think that our freakishly large brains are, well, just that: freaks of nature. They're fairly complex, and quite large with respect to our overall body size - as compared to other animals. And really, the brain is just another organ, thus it is part of the body.

But evolution itself is a simple process, with no real aim, any more than an exothermic oxidation reaction (or is it reduction? I always get oxidation and reduction mixed up) of hydrogen has the aim of producing water. It just happens.

 

[Ika]

evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

 

[Kalvin00]

Originally posted by: Aflac
evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

:thumbsup:

 

[dingnecros]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers91
there is no evolution.

god put us here

so that brings me to another paradox. God definitely does not want us to abuse our bodies and think on a higher plane. That means that he/she wants to improve the mind. A person who can think logically will always question the logic behind god and that means he doubts the very existence of god. Since god favors logical thinkers it means that god himself does not want people to believe in him/her ??

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Evolution doesn't have an aim.

It's variations in genetic traits and then based on those differences, some individuals of a species stand a better chance to survive and pass on their genes.

These variations are basically random changes and thus could be bad or good. They aren't inherently bad of good traits themselves, it's the interaction of those individuals with the environment around them that essentially "decides" what gets passed on to the next generation. These changes could be physical or mental.

The amount of resources (space, food, etc.) is limited to smaller than the breeding potential of species, so some will not make it. There are additional factors like predation and such that are also weeding out individuals. The variations in individuals may or may not give them an edge to being one of the ones that "makes it" and successfully passes on their genes to the next generation.

In the human species, we've really fvcked up this whole process. I would probably be dead with my crappy eyesight and so forth. "Success" in genetic terms is how many offspring you can send off. That seems to have very little to do with physical and mental capabilities of our species worldwide compared to other non-domesticated animals.

 

[sandorski]

Both, neither, or has been suggested, there is no "aim". That which is "most fit" is simply that which possesses the best or sufficient attributes that lets it survive whatever circumstances they happen to exist in.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

Originally posted by: BlackTigers91
there is no evolution.

god put us here

so that brings me to another paradox. God definitely does not want us to abuse our bodies and think on a higher plane. That means that he/she wants to improve the mind. A person who can think logically will always question the logic behind god and that means he doubts the very existence of god. Since god favors logical thinkers it means that god himself does not want people to believe in him/her ??

You also presuppose the existence of any such deity, or the notion that anyone on Earth possibly understands what said deity truly wants. There are LOADS of interpretations of what god(s) really want. Which ones are right? Were the Greeks actually correct? Is Zeus up there on Mt Olympus, royally pissed off at humanity for forsaking him, busy building Titans v2.0 to destroy us all?

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
....
In the human species, we've really fvcked up this whole process. I would probably be dead with my crappy eyesight and so forth. "Success" in genetic terms is how many offspring you can send off. That seems to have very little to do with physical and mental capabilities of our species worldwide compared to other non-domesticated animals.

In time, we will also have the ability to edit or even rewrite our genetic future. The question then is, how do we go about implementing these changes? Do we do it based on who can afford it, and wind up with another wealth gap: genetic wealth, as happened in the movie Gattaca? Or will the changes be made incrementally, to everyone? Even in the latter scenario, there would undoubtedly be a number of people who would refuse such changes, either out of religious beliefs, or out of some nostalgic obsession with the past. The options then seem to be stagnation or progress.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

Originally posted by: BlackTigers91
there is no evolution.

god put us here

so that brings me to another paradox. God definitely does not want us to abuse our bodies and think on a higher plane. That means that he/she wants to improve the mind. A person who can think logically will always question the logic behind god and that means he doubts the very existence of god. Since god favors logical thinkers it means that god himself does not want people to believe in him/her ??

This post reminds of the Babelfish. A far more interesting read than the actual quoted post.

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
You also presuppose the existence of any such deity, or the notion that anyone on Earth possibly understands what said deity truly wants. There are LOADS of interpretations of what god(s) really want. Which ones are right? Were the Greeks actually correct? Is Zeus up there on Mt Olympus, royally pissed off at humanity for forsaking him, busy building Titans v2.0 to destroy us all?

I am adding "stomped to death by a Titan unleashed by a neglected Zeus" to my list of awesome ways to die.

 

[dingnecros]

Originally posted by: Aflac
evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

so if I understand you right then you are saying that evolution is aimless ?

I think every process has an aim, because without aim there is chaos. Even a fire in the oil storage tanker has an aim. Sure it seems chaotic but Its aim is to burn until there is no fuel left....

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

Originally posted by: Aflac
evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

so if I understand you right then you are saying that evolution is aimless ?

I think every process has an aim, because without aim there is chaos. Even a fire in the oil storage tanker has an aim. Sure it seems chaotic but Its aim is to burn until there is no fuel left....

An aim requires something with a notion of an objective. Even an ant has an objective, and though it may not consciously be able to articulate, "My lot in life is to defend this colony," it still has an aim. But let's say you've got two hydrogen atoms, an oxygen atom, and both have been sufficiently heated to allow a chemical bond to form, yielding water. Neither atom, nor the thermal energy, has the "aim" of generating water. They simply exist, and they simply react. It just happens. There is no aim or objective.

 

[Fenixgoon]

gibbs free energy is negative

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[invidia]

People don't evolve or change. We're the same since we were put here by Lord Xenu 145 billion years ago.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: dingnecros
Was seeing some video regrading the evolution/religion bull crap and a question came to my mind.

"Does evolution aim to evolve the brain or does evolution aim to to evolve the body?"

If survival of the fittest theory is applied then it means that evolution aims to evolve the body, but if concept of technologically/mentally advanced species is taken into account as in sci-fi movies, literature and aliens then most of them involve abilities associated with higher functions of the brain.

So what is the ultimate aim of evolution? to make physically adept or to make mentally adept variants of species ??

What ever characteristics promote survival to reproduce.

 

[Eeezee]

You've missed the point of evolution. If you live in an environment that rewards brawn, your species will evolve for brawn (for example, if you need to be fast to catch up to your prey). If you live in an environment that rewards cleverness/intelligence, your species will evolve for cleverness (ie camouflage, hunting tactics, den-making, etc.)

Obviously you can't just develop one without the other. Brain without brawn is useless, as is brawn without a brain. Ideally I'd think you'd want as much of both as possible.

 

[venkman]

Saying evolution has an aim is like saying a chair "aims" for people to sit on it. Evolution, like the chair, does not have a purpose, it has a function.

 

[glenn1]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

So what is the ultimate aim of evolution? to make physically adept or to make mentally adept variants of species ??

Whichever gets us into the panties of some hot babe faster.

 

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

Originally posted by: Aflac
evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

so if I understand you right then you are saying that evolution is aimless ?

I think every process has an aim, because without aim there is chaos. Even a fire in the oil storage tanker has an aim. Sure it seems chaotic but Its aim is to burn until there is no fuel left....

Then you've missed the point entirely. In order for there to be an aim, i.e. a goal, you are implying that an intelligent being is guiding it with an end result in mind, which is exactly the opposite of what evolution means.

I should also point out that it HAS NO END. The creatures you see at the zoo may be superior in some way to those that died in the last ice age, but they are not frozen in time. Another 100,000 years from now, a zoo will look entirely different.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: dingnecros

Originally posted by: Aflac
evolution doesn't "aim" to do anything. Learn more about natural selection please.

so if I understand you right then you are saying that evolution is aimless ?

I think every process has an aim, because without aim there is chaos. Even a fire in the oil storage tanker has an aim. Sure it seems chaotic but Its aim is to burn until there is no fuel left....

What's this called? Anthropomorphizing?

an·thro·po·mor·phism (nthr-p-môrfzm)
n.
Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

Yeah I think that's it. In order to have an aim or a goal there has to be thought at least, and the ability to choose a different objective one would think.

Under the right conditions the oil has no choice but to ignite. Once ignited the fire has no choice but to burn until snuffing out somehow or consuming all available flammable materials. There is no "thing" out there called evolution that's making decisions based on some ultimate master plan. Chaos may be the way of things no matter how distasteful that might seem to you.