Steve Jones Enlightenment Lecture - Is Human Evolution Over?'

[Jefgg]

He looks a lot different since leaving The Sex Pistols. I wonder if he keeps in touch with Johnny Rotten.

[thegreeensky]

nice video.. very interesting...

[katheryncruz24]

thanks for this!

[ralexnicholas]

Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending's 2009 book, "The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution" is an excellent rebuttal to this kind of research. Among other traits, they cite lactose tolerance in adults as an example of continuing human evolution. Besides, static evolution means extinction and some unforeseen cataclysmic event could nullify any technological or cultural response to such a catastrophe.

[tjmac7]

Skip straight to 3:10.

[claton95]

@tjmac7 thanks

[lorinthemaggot]

I hope I get an offer from Edinburgh :(

[m1trekker]

Evolution has not stopped or slowed at all. He talks about mutation, natural selection and drift, because we are not exposed to stresses such as a tiger chasing us doesn't mean evolution is dead. Prof Jones is missing one aspect which is transgenic mutation. I believe future generations have the abillity to pick up skills purely based upon the experiences of their parents; the observation that

children are now readily using computers for example.

[BernhardSchaefke]

Interesting lecture. But he seems to assume that Western society represents the "endpoint of human evolution" to which other cultures (Muslim world, Africa etc.) will "naturally develop". But natural selection and genetic drift are still powerful factors in these areas, and if you look at worldwide birth rates, I would rather doubt that in 100 years the whole world will live in "our utopia"...

[cveitch]

woohoo, that;s the hall I graduated in. Class of 2002

[STEPHENWRAYSFORD33]

Human evolution is still occuring but not through natural selection. Humans' are unique in the animal kingdom in having differential fertility instead of differential mortality as the main force affecting selection. There are clearly large fertility differences between individuals of different social classes or countries.

[farouqnimer]

what's up with those british women biting their nails ? :P

[GEOPAIH1234]

More than likely our advancements in technology will allow us to play with our own genetics bypassing the natural evolutionary step, perhaps we may believe we get to a level where evolution is no longer needed i.e becoming immortal or stopping ageing, perhaps this may happen when we become a space faring civilisation.

[STEPHENWRAYSFORD33]

@GEOPAIH1234 It's interesting that the changes that humans produced in dogs, horses, etc through selective breeding could be produced in just 1 generation through genetic engineering. Some Science fiction novels have loved ideas about human evolution having gone wrong in some way, such as H.G Well's' The Time Machine & A. Huxley's Brave New World.

[MrBlamemeforit]

Even though the natural selection part might be less active, The sexual and cultural selection and the preasure in a group "will" make big changes in a species. -.- and in developing countries where competition is still highly active natural selection is even more active. -.- To say that Human evolution is over is just weird.. The humans in developing countries are humans to lol ;);););) .. you could make an argument that human evolution in I countries are in theory "over" -.-.. But not in other

[JuniorDExchangecore]

@MrBlamemeforit Evolution will cause the human race to split into many parts, indeed. Many say the working class will turn into strong brutes, and the intelligentsia will gain more brain mass. Social standards generally say that intelligent people do not marry stupid people, so it will eventually split off.

[MrBlamemeforit]

How can he say evolution is over in human societys.. Even tough predator preasure is less and death is less now i developed countries, evolution still takes place, Cultural and sexual selection is highly active. Evolution in icountries is not over -.-

[hivelocity100]

Cultural and Sexual selection is active. But without natural selection...there is no evolution. In other words....if nature does not choose who lives and who dies...there is no evolution.

[MrBlamemeforit]

Well there is still "artificial" selection.. and quite powerfull to.. some scientists even suggested that we evolved the uber brains because of each other.. competition between fellow man. and evolution does not stop.. It just doesnt.. The idea that Evolution can stop is bissare.. Its an illusion because it works sooo slooooow.. so people in rich developed countries where competition is scarce..it might seem evolution has no part. Sorry for grammar :)

[hivelocity100]

@MrBlamemeforit Well, artificial selection doesn't help evolution. If someone selected a sexual partner on the basis of ...say....their intelligence....the fellow with the lower intelligence will just go and mate with someone else. No one is dying off because of genetics.

[diuton]

I have him for 1st year genetics at UCL

brilliant guy. most capturing speechs

[RonBurgundy161]

@diuton Lucky as hell dude.

[claton95]

@diuton Is genetics a a sub subject of biology? or is it its own major

[MrBigTanak]

This lecture discusses some of the most fascinating material one can come across - it's a shame there aren't more comments!! Perhaps the type that would enjoy this are less likely to be the "commenting" type. I'll be showing this video to my wife - I love you babe! I imagine this will still be on top when I show you. :)

[alex1314159]

hahaha, I agree, subsequently I feel a bit more happy about studying genetics at university :D.

[PublicJoe88]

Fascinating! I wonder how future artificial genetic modification ties into this? I mean, wouldnt it be safe to say that we, in perhaps a couple of hundred years, would be capable of modifying our own genes\dna ? Much like people change their appearance with plastic surgery today? Not really comparable, I know. Anyway, this stuff is awsome! Looking at the future from the future is a concept I very much buy into.

[balkan2k]

More like 20 years, m8 :-) Stem cell research is accellerating at a very fast pace.

[skintsquatscum]

We are capable of doing it now. It is no different in principle than what we can already do on animals and plants. It hasn't happened because society wouldn't allow it.....yet

[PublicJoe88]

Well, that has actually

just changed. Im doing it ;)

[bewaver]

I would be careful not to believe in initially wriong paradygms and realising you are far to close to the sun when you whings start melting.