Forum Overview :: Biohazard: Code Veronica :: Senor Barborito MetaFilter Post

[quote name="Senor Barborito MetaFilter Post"]Harry there is another course in the sense that mankind could spontaneously begin to behave in a mature, rational manner at the macroscopic level. There's also a <i>chance</i> that every air molecule in my apartment could give probability the middle finger and crowd into a corner causing me to explosively decompress - or that space-based weaponry will never be developed until the universe comes to an end. But none of these things are very likely. The problem is 'simply' that tribalism, healthy paranoia, and the will to make expedient choices at the expense of the lives of others are all bred into the human race at the cellular level. These traits are naturally selected for in nearly all primates including hunter-gatherers and early agrarian farmers - which is roughly where we stopped significantly evolving as a species. Our failure to evolve beyond these behaviors - and inability to muster the will as a species to breed them out of ourselves either via eugenics or direct genetic engineering - is what all but assures our eventual demise as a species at each others' hands. One, or even many individuals can and sometimes do behave in a focused, rational manner which defies these genetically ingrained behaviors - but the human race as a whole is unlikely to ever stop reflecting the lack of intelligence and perspective possessed by the average individual unless there is a significant disruptive event or technology of some kind. posted by Ryvar at 12:53 AM PST on May 18 [/quote]