Philosophy Now Forum

That's my POV (which used to be cuttlefish).

Read up to see why:

http://www.futurity.org/tardigrades-genome-1057992-2/

PhilX

Now we know what's going to inherit the Earth after the cockroaches go extinct.

Dubious wrote:Now we know what's going to inherit the Earth after the cockroaches go extinct.

Dubious,

The most interesting part of the article is where it says: “So instead of thinking of the tree of life, we can think about the web of life and genetic material crossing from branch to branch. So it’s exciting. We are beginning to adjust our understanding of how evolution works.”

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:

Dubious wrote:Now we know what's going to inherit the Earth after the cockroaches go extinct.

Dubious,

The most interesting part of the article is where it says: “So instead of thinking of the tree of life, we can think about the web of life and genetic material crossing from branch to branch. So it’s exciting. We are beginning to adjust our understanding of how evolution works.”

PhilX

I agree. The innards and mechanisms of evolution still contain abundant mysteries. It's not just the abstractions of theoretical physics which are responsible for the BIG surprises! I imagine that once 'horizontal gene transfer' is better understood it's ramifications for humans by the incorporation of foreign genes will be very closely scrutinized. It may possess the ultimate potential in genetically 'modifying' humans for extremely specialized functions as may be required in space travel for instance. But given that potential, I don't even want to think what this could turn into.

The biggest screw-ups - in which we have never ceased to specialize - are rarely or conveniently retroactive. It may sound like an insult and contradiction to intelligence itself, but we have barely yet begun to acknowledge how deadly it can be to an organism and by extension, to its environment. Intelligence can work many times faster to foreshorten the future of a species than Nature on its own would allow.

...but I digress...separate subject!!

Philosophy Explorer wrote:...
The most interesting part of the article is where it says: “So instead of thinking of the tree of life, we can think about the web of life and genetic material crossing from branch to branch. So it’s exciting. We are beginning to adjust our understanding of how evolution works.”

PhilX

This is only interesting if you've been living in a unphilosophical cave for the past several decades as the 'tree of life' metaphor is so outdated as to be old hat.

Dubious wrote:... Intelligence can work many times faster to foreshorten the future of a species than Nature on its own would allow.

...

How many intelligent species do you base this assertion on? Or is it just sci-fi?

Arising_uk wrote:

Philosophy Explorer wrote:...
The most interesting part of the article is where it says: “So instead of thinking of the tree of life, we can think about the web of life and genetic material crossing from branch to branch. So it’s exciting. We are beginning to adjust our understanding of how evolution works.”

PhilX

This is only interesting if you've been living in a unphilosophical cave for the past several decades as the 'tree of life' metaphor is so outdated as to be old hat.

So you claim.

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:So you claim.

PhilX

Instead of just spamming links to articles try doing some reading around the field before you utter your vapid pronouncements.

Arising_uk wrote:

Philosophy Explorer wrote:So you claim.

PhilX

Instead of just spamming links to articles try doing some reading around the field before you utter your vapid pronouncements.

Again you're just offering impressions. But you must find it interesting since you keep coming back for more, spam or otherwise

PhilX

Nope, just every now and then your vapid pronouncements irritate me enough to reply in the vain hope you'll stop. Why not use tumblr or twatter or any of the other more suitable sites for your obsession?

If you'd said 'phylogenetic tree' in your assessment I might have paid attention but in reality you are just another denier of Darwin's theory looking for ways to decry it.

Arising_uk wrote:Nope, just every now and then your vapid pronouncements irritate me enough to reply in the vain hope you'll stop. Why not use tumblr or twatter or any of the other more suitable sites for your obsession?

If you'd said 'phylogenetic tree' in your assessment I might have paid attention but in reality you are just another denier of Darwin's theory looking for ways to decry it.

So why are you interested in being irritated? Don't you know how to ignore?

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
So why are you interested in being irritated? Don't you know how to ignore?

PhilX

For sure, I do it the majority of the time with your posts but every now and then I'm interested in pointing out the philosophical vapidness of your thoughts about most of the things you post and especially as I think you do this to cover-up that you are just endlessly spamming links.

Arising_uk wrote:

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
So why are you interested in being irritated? Don't you know how to ignore?

PhilX

For sure, I do it the majority of the time with your posts but every now and then I'm interested in pointing out the philosophical vapidness of your thoughts about most of the things you post and especially as I think you do this to cover-up that you are just endlessly spamming links.

Spamming is opinion so you're not really saying anything except expressing your disgust at what doesn't fit your mode of thinking.

PhilX

Arising_uk wrote:

Dubious wrote:... Intelligence can work many times faster to foreshorten the future of a species than Nature on its own would allow.

...

How many intelligent species do you base this assertion on?

...not any you're a member of!

Dubious wrote:
...not any you're a member of!

Not another sensitive flower! Why do your ilk bother with philosophy forums?

Try this, there are arguably two intelligent species upon this planet, us and the Cetaceans and both are pretty much the dominant ones in their environment and our one, it can be argued, only survived and thrived due to its intelligence. Now in sci-fi there is a theme about how intelligence leads to extinction so is this where you get your idea?