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| wolwerine94 |
 Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: Evolution of humans |
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| I am big fan of marvel movies! I had an idea when i watched X-Man! I think thats the final time to new evolution come, and that homo sapien become something new, to become like mutants in X-man! What do you think, is that possible? |
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| kojax |
| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:10 am Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
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Oh yeah. Psychic phenomena seem to have a certain credibility to them, so it could be that it will start to manifest more commonly at some point. I don't know if it would be exactly like the X-Men, of course.
On the other hand, it could just be a metaphor for high intelligence frightening the less intelligent (I'm kind of thinking of the "What's with the hate of intelligence?" thread I guess.) Science lost a lot of people's love when it developed the atom bomb. I don't think it's any coincidence that the villain in a lot of these comic stories tends so strongly to be a scientist who uses technology instead of super powers.
Superman's battles with Lex Luthor probably expresses the average American jock's fear toward the smart kids in their school. |
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:12 am Post subject: Re: Evolution of humans |
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Forum Radioactive Isotope
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| wolwerine94 wrote: |
| I am big fan of marvel movies! I had an idea when i watched X-Man! I think thats the final time to new evolution come, and that homo sapien become something new, to become like mutants in X-man! What do you think, is that possible? |
I think it is useful to separate fiction from reality.
There is no meaningful evidence that supports any form of extra-sensory perception or para-normal powers. There is currently no accepted theory of the world that suggests such powers could exist. Consequently there seems no good reason for believing such powers might evolve in humans.
Edited in a crucial word (no) from the penultimate sentence.
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Last edited by Ophiolite on Mon May 26, 2008 1:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| Oliver Tanas |
| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 9:18 am Post subject: |
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No one can predict the future, but nonetheless, the developement of "mutant powers" parallel to "X-Men" is, verily speaking, quite an absurd idea. First of all, evolution progresses take tens of thousands of years of time, and yet, the changes in a certain species happen taking small steps. Therefore, it's quite unlikely to develope any type of super powers by altering only a single gene, the "X-gene", if I recall it correct, which appeared in the "X-Men".
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| Selene |
| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 9:51 am Post subject: |
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I am a mutant
I can put my left leg over my right shoulder and scratch my bottom with my big toe 
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| kojax |
| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject: Re: Evolution of humans |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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| Ophiolite wrote: |
| wolwerine94 wrote: |
| I am big fan of marvel movies! I had an idea when i watched X-Man! I think thats the final time to new evolution come, and that homo sapien become something new, to become like mutants in X-man! What do you think, is that possible? |
I think it is useful to separate fiction from reality.
There is no meaningful evidence that supports any form of extra-sensory perception or para-normal powers. There is currently accepted theory of the world that suggests such powers could exist. Consequently there seems no good reason for believing such powers might evolve in humans. |
And yet, just about everyone I talk to for very long about it can remember having at least one prophetic dream in their life, where they saw something and then it happened as they had seen.
It can, of course, be explained as a flaw in one's own memory, thinking they remember something happening out of order with how it really happened, but it's a commonly shared experience many people go through and then never talk about, unless they really trust you.
The religious folk who think they see miracles may actually be seeing psychic phenomena. There don't appear to be any people who can credibly use the power at will, or anything, or if they exist they keep a low profile, but I wouldn't rule out seeing a sudden surge of it sometime soon. |
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:18 am Post subject: Re: Evolution of humans |
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| kojax wrote: |
| And yet, just about everyone I talk to for very long about it can remember having at least one prophetic dream in their life, where they saw something and then it happened as they had seen. . |
Anecdotes are not quality evidence in science.
I used routinely to have prophetic dreams. I had close to a 100% hit rate on accuracy. This changed when I started documenting every single such dream. Then the hit rate fell to less than 5%.
| kojax wrote: |
| but I wouldn't rule out seeing a sudden surge of it sometime soon. |
The only basis on which it appears you can make this assertion is that you think it would be a neat thing to happen. There is no credible evidence to support the existence of such phenomena.
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The Universe is not only weirder than we imagine it is weirder than we can imagine. J.B.S.Haldane. |
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| kojax |
| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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I see the problem as arising from the limitations on the way science compiles evidence. It's all based on a threshold, one's and zero's, blacks and whites. Either something is held infinity credible, or it's zero credible.
I think there are many things people experience and won't talk about simply because they believe that nobody else has experienced it and they'll be seen as crazy or otherwise mentally deficient.
If you tried to ascertain whether incest was a serious problem in America in the mid-1800's you'd probably get similar results. People won't talk credibly about experiences they don't believe others share, and the few that do usually are the crackpot types who don't value their credibility enough to be afraid of how they'll be seen. |
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| Twixly |
| Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:06 am Post subject: |
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I think you´re underestimating the changes that would be required for "powers" such as X-men.
In fact, the difference in evolution between us and chimpanzees are probably even less then that of us and one of the X-men.
Here´s a nice video on evolution :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtIQvkQWTZY
As you´ll notice, almost all the "forces" that drive evolution, we humans are no longer affected by. |
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 9:08 am Post subject: |
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Forum Radioactive Isotope
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| kojax wrote: |
| I see the problem as arising from the limitations on the way science compiles evidence. It's all based on a threshold, one's and zero's, blacks and whites. Either something is held infinity credible, or it's zero credible. |
It is not my perception that this is the case. Science typically deals with uncertainties. Statistical analysis is of increasing importance in a whole range of studies.
Or consider the example of the driving force for plate tectonics. Is it the push of new material erupted at the mid oceanic ridges, the drag of the convection current moving below the plate, or the pull of sinking cold slab at the subduction zone? Current hinking would say, yes, it is all three. The relative importance of each is what is (intensely) debated, but there is no absolute assertion that one or the other alternative is wholly responsible.
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| Highball |
| Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Ophiolite wrote: |
| kojax wrote: |
| I see the problem as arising from the limitations on the way science compiles evidence. It's all based on a threshold, one's and zero's, blacks and whites. Either something is held infinity credible, or it's zero credible. |
It is not my perception that this is the case. Science typically deals with uncertainties. Statistical analysis is of increasing importance in a whole range of studies.
Or consider the example of the driving force for plate tectonics. Is it the push of new material erupted at the mid oceanic ridges, the drag of the convection current moving below the plate, or the pull of sinking cold slab at the subduction zone? Current hinking would say, yes, it is all three. The relative importance of each is what is (intensely) debated, but there is no absolute assertion that one or the other alternative is wholly responsible. |
wtf? is this forum truly frequented by such moronic and pointless comment?
de da de da de da "or" shite... please will someone rescue this site from stupdity?
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| Selene |
| Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Highball wrote: |
| Ophiolite wrote: |
| kojax wrote: |
| I see the problem as arising from the limitations on the way science compiles evidence. It's all based on a threshold, one's and zero's, blacks and whites. Either something is held infinity credible, or it's zero credible. |
It is not my perception that this is the case. Science typically deals with uncertainties. Statistical analysis is of increasing importance in a whole range of studies.
Or consider the example of the driving force for plate tectonics. Is it the push of new material erupted at the mid oceanic ridges, the drag of the convection current moving below the plate, or the pull of sinking cold slab at the subduction zone? Current hinking would say, yes, it is all three. The relative importance of each is what is (intensely) debated, but there is no absolute assertion that one or the other alternative is wholly responsible. |
wtf? is this forum truly frequented by such moronic and pointless comment?
de da de da de da "or" shite... please will someone rescue this site from stupdity? |
So are you going to add anything worthwhile to the discussion or are you just going to make moronic and pointless comments Highball?
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| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 1:12 am Post subject: |
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| Highball wrote: |
| wtf? is this forum truly frequented by such moronic and pointless comment? |
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The Universe is not only weirder than we imagine it is weirder than we can imagine. J.B.S.Haldane. |
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| kojax |
| Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| Ophiolite wrote: |
| kojax wrote: |
| I see the problem as arising from the limitations on the way science compiles evidence. It's all based on a threshold, one's and zero's, blacks and whites. Either something is held infinity credible, or it's zero credible. |
It is not my perception that this is the case. Science typically deals with uncertainties. Statistical analysis is of increasing importance in a whole range of studies.
Or consider the example of the driving force for plate tectonics. Is it the push of new material erupted at the mid oceanic ridges, the drag of the convection current moving below the plate, or the pull of sinking cold slab at the subduction zone? Current hinking would say, yes, it is all three. The relative importance of each is what is (intensely) debated, but there is no absolute assertion that one or the other alternative is wholly responsible. |
Good point. Statistics are used and considered reliable despite their reliance on probability, and susceptibility to error from random flukes. However, the statistical conclusions are usually still drawn by the application of mathematical principles to concrete observations.
The problem with trying to find out who has and has not seen psychic phenomena, and whether they were fooling themselves, is that it doesn't even leave itself open to any kind of statistical analysis. It's almost like trying to test Freud's theories scientifically.
However, the fact there's no way for science to approach it doesn't tell us anything about whether it's true or false. |
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| However, the fact there's no way for science to approach it doesn't tell us anything about whether it's true or false. |
I disagree with this. It can certainly shift the probability scale around a bit. The fact is that there is no mechanism known whereby psychic phenomena might be possible that I know of. Also, no direct and reliable evidence has ever been collected. The whole idea is based on anecdotal accounts.
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