 Hi again You're still here. Yeah, I'm still here. It's shocking to talk about this is culture the successor to evolution In Hebrew, we both know Hebrew. So culture in Hebrew has two Different terms one is tarbit when you talk about a culture of say germs and one is tarbut Which is the culture of of Culture of higher organisms Organisms like us so I assume you talk about culture the The outcome of the minds of higher organisms and there's an addendum are we headed towards a trans humanist future So this is there is this relatively new theory. It's called dual inheritance theory or Gene culture co-evolutionary theory or in short co-evolution It's the idea that all organisms Develop through a process of genetic biological Kind of adaptation and that's a classic Darwinian concept adapted and evolved But still it is grounded in genetics and biology. So organisms from microbes to chimpanzees Develop only so this is when I brought up tarbit. This is this is kind of this is the realm so this is with with allegedly One exception and the only exception is the human human being the human being develops both Genetically and biologically But it has another way of evolving and that is culture or civilization human human civilization is Actually a form of evolution That's how it started. That's how this theory started, but then later it was discovered that many many species Also have cultures Societies at least we know about the bees we know about from bees to gorillas. I mean Dolphins elephants Elephants, I mean so it's beginning to be actually a theory of evolution not a theory of human evolution But a theory of evolution which I think has the the potential to supplant to substitute for Darwin's evolution was Darwin limited himself to biology and genetics and I I think it was it's partial and Because it's partial. I think it's wrong if we talk about Darwin. I would like to know if you if you Take in with Darwin's theories some Lamar kiss theories that that come to that. Yes. Yes Yes, it's a good question because this is what culture is all about welcome to what is culture When I say culture first of all to define the terms when I say culture, I don't mean couture like in German I don't mean I but I mean the totality of human human Creativity so that would be society that would be technology that would be art that would be I I didn't I didn't quite Think that culture meant some the culture in German meant something else than culture Culture is only music on exactly And that's why I'm Clarifying okay what I mean is also the way the way human societies are organized what I mean is also Technology what I mean is also science what I mean is also religion and also and also and also you could say civilization Creativity creative civilization is a good is a good term but again, it's associated with some With some writings with some in the 19th century that again is a bit a bit problematic So we don't have a good word We don't have a good word to describe the totality of human creativity because human creates in a variety of ways Human creates with physical objects with ideas with social structures. It's all creativity. We don't have Create space or some words to some using culture for lack of a better word Okay, but it means all so what is culture in this sense? It's a simulation it's culture is Culture is an extension of the brains and minds of multiple individuals and When I extend my mind You inhabit it and I invite you into my mind Actually inviting you into a simulation because it's not your mind If I construct a building and then I invite you for the inauguration of the building I'm inviting you into my brainchild. I'm inviting you into my fantasy What we're doing today is exactly that you invited me to scope you exactly you said come to scope here We would like to talk about this this this and that so I came and I Actually joined you are in my reality in your world. Yes, you're in my reality now Similarly, if I write a book and you read this book, you're in my mind Definitely, you're you're a captive of my mind. I mean you yes, you're captive of my mind same with movies same with computer programs same so Culture that some total of human creativity is What we call a simulation because it's about inviting others Into your breath the products of your brain the products of your mind This is very important because it means that evolution has a physical manifestation but also a mental manifestation if We say culture. It's very easy to mistake culture for tables and buildings and sculptures, but no Culture is any human fantasy any any brainchild any eruption of the mind any so Culture is an abstract thing. It's a it's a so It seems that evolution is evolving both physically and mentally which brings us back to the Psycho to the to the to the initial conversation we had about body-mind the body-mind problem, right? okay, so why how could mental processes as Raphide in culture how could mental processes have evolutionary implications It's very simple If I create an environment Through my mind if my the first there's an idea in my mind a fantasy in my mind like cities We mentioned cities city cities the metaverse computer programs I mean books whatever if I create something and then I invite you in For you to inhabit that space you need to adapt You must adapt if I create a city You must adapt to the city. You can walk only in certain ways. You can buy food only there You have to be a physically less fit than a farmer. You so it affects your body Not only your mind, but also your body. It has effects on your body To cut a long story short Culture is an environment exactly like an ecosystem So it exerts what we call selective pressure culture Culture creates natural selection If If you can't use computers for example imagine that you are someone with technophobic and you can't use computers You're seriously handicapped. You are today definitely seriously handicapped So computers computers are not genes computers are not chromosomes computers are not the body So Darwin Darwin's work is Broken there. It doesn't apply to computers But I think that computers today are as important as your genetics For you to survive in the environment as it is You need to adapt to use computers and if you don't you're seriously disabled take a take a phone Yeah, who doesn't have a phone? Yeah children and if you don't you're seriously disabled So this creates selective pressure People who can use phones and technology are more likely to get to have children It's extremely simple. Why because if you are not if you can't use technology You are likely to have lower level of education much lower level of income These are predictors of reproduction You are likely to adapt less to the environment You are likely to be also treated badly by society. You're likely to be shunned and mocked and What woman would go with you right to be honest, right? I mean imagine that you're on a date. You're going on a date with a woman. What's your phone number? What's your phone? I don't have a phone. You don't have a phone. You don't use phones. No, okay. Thank you Thank you. Thank you for the drink, you know, it was nice meeting you. Nice meeting you It's very simple. If you are not adapted to your culture and to the technology and to society Then your chances to reproduce alone So people who are not adaptive in this sense will have fewer offspring That's a great description of natural selection. Exactly. Exactly. Moreover If I am embedded in a certain society or culture or environmental technology or whatever It activates some of my genes. We call it gene expression Most genes are dormant their sleep the hibernating and they're triggered by the environment you you mean Each each cell in our body has genes. Yes, they all sleep not all but majority do they sleep Okay, and then the environment provokes them That's why we get cancer when there is pollution you get cancer because it triggers some genes So gene expression is triggered by the environment. That's acceptable in all biology so so when the environment shape but He did too They were saying that gene expression genes are triggered by the physical environment like Quality of the air radiation is that it's not true Jeans are reactive to anything in the environment happiness for instance to well-being to social demands to Technology to genes react to everything genes don't make a distinction between a tree and a smartphone It's not that genes is what I mean. The smartphone is artificial. I'm not going to react to you They react. Yes in other words culture triggers your genes and this is passed on The is passed on to future generations. So this is a reddit. This is Lamar keys. This is epigenetics Epigenetics is the variant of Lamar keys and which which incorporates most of evolution incorporates big tenets of evolution but says that genes which are treated are likely to more likely to be passed on to future generations in other words your culture your society or technology Shape you and shape your children as well so Definitely, it's part of evolution. No question about this is why we see small toddlers being able to do things that we didn't think that Children can do Definitely, we come into a world that already has all these things that we thought we grew up with or ended up growing up with And and they are already born into this world and they they use the technology much easier than we do it's an excellent example because It applies to all the all life forms for example if you take a warm warm You know a lot a lot take a warm and you put it in a maze in a maze and there's food at the end. So the warm Meanders me and there's until she gets to the food and it's and she does it once and twice and three times It's because it's a lot. It's it's a female. It's very Hebrew. Yeah, but don't say it's not gender bias It it it meanders and it it's the food the offspring of the warm Do it much faster The the first one needs four hundred attempts to get to the food it goes through the maze It banks into a wall it goes back it tries again really and it needs four hundred attempts to get to the food The offspring of that warm needs a hundred attempts and as we proceed in the generations There are finally worms that just go straight for the food. Wow Yeah, so clearly The maze is not a gene. It's not a chromosome. It's all biological. It's culture. It's environment It's an artificial structure. Someone's brainchild the warm adapted to it and transfer this and this triggered in her in it some genes and She passed on these genes to her children to her offspring And they are much better at doing this at the task and this applies to all life forms So absolutely culture is an evolutionary force in two ways One if you are not adapted to culture, you are less likely to have offspring Because you know, no one will date you no one will have children with you because you're an idiot You don't use smartphones. Yes, and the second reason is your genes activated and expressed and they are passed on to future offspring So you could say that culture is a way to adapt to diverse habitats because human beings are Not limited to genetic or biological heritage hereditary mechanism But they can invent their own hereditary mechanism. I didn't get that. I will explain. Okay, if you are a giraffe Okay, your way to evolve as a species your way to pass on properties and trades to your offspring Sex essentially. I mean, it's nothing much more. You can do your giraffe And so consequently you are usually limited to a specific habitat Because you would find it difficult to survive in the polar in the polar regions. Exactly Just if we mentioned Lamarck will just say that Lamarck had this hypothesis that the giraffe has a longer A longer neck because it strives to reach the that has been that has been disproved probably the higher fruit That has been disproved because it's a not needed assumption because probably giraffes with higher necks Simply reproduce more. So you're in this sense. You're more Darwinistic there's no need for the for this type of Lamarckism, but clearly if the environment changes suddenly and trees become Smaller smaller then clearly There would be some kind of adaptation to the environment somehow which will be transferred to offspring and that's where Lamarck So you see I think you tend to agree with Lamarck more than not fully the mechanism is Darwinian in the sense that the There will be giraffes Which will die and giraffes which will survive and the giraffes that survive are better adapted to the environment So they pass on their genes to there. So this is totally Darwin. Okay, that's the way that's the way But what I'm saying is there is a place for Lamarckism in epigenetics in the sense that the giraffes Who lower their necks to eat from the smaller trees this activates in them some genes and Through the Darwinian mechanism of heritage, they will transfer these genes onwards. Okay, so Ironically Lamarck is correct within one generation But not between generations Lamarck is correct in one generation, but Darwin is correct between generations. So Lamarck is right the genes change within a generation Darwin is right that these genes are passed on. So what Lamarck didn't know is that the genes are being activated yes, he of course didn't know about genes, but He was right that genes the genetic composition of animals changes Active within one generation span of one's life one generation. He was wrong about how this change is transmitted So that's where he was wrong. I see but he was right That's such that there are changes within one generation where Darwin was wrong Darwin said no Changes only intergenerations. Yes, you have what you have. Yeah, whatever and it's intergenerational. Okay, so they're both right and so they're both right. Yes, so mutations and genetic expression Can happen in a single generation and alter the species substantially and this alteration is then passed on to future generations as Darwin had said but humans went a step further Humans said humans said we are going to design a revolution Giraffes are limited, you know to epigenetics and to Darwinian transfer of genes Women said no, we are going to design Environments that will then affect our genes that will then allow us to better adapt in future generations So what what humans are doing? They are designing environments, then they are reacting to this environment epigenetically then they're transferring it to the offspring But they are women are doing humans humans humans humans design environments that then affect Their genes epigenetically and then they transfer them to offspring. Okay, so Humans trigger their own evolution in a way. You could say that humans are in control of the evolutionary process Absolutely in control and that's why The fact that humans control evolution through culture unwittingly by the way probably Until now now it's it's pretty wittingly but before that is We didn't know about epigenetics until recently. Yes, but Because we control evolution through an environment which is essentially artificial Essentially a simulation because we control this then we can Survive in all habitats We are not dependent on genes anymore. We we can we can trigger the necessary Genetic adaptation ourselves. We don't depend on it. We've seen this throughout history when when people who live in the Sahara have have adapted to living there and people who live at the Pole or close to the pole Adapt to different temperatures and it's a question. It's a question of speed also In a typical species animal species it would take tens of thousands to millions of years To adapt to adapt in human beings. It takes sometimes 8,000 years, which is Which is a lot but it's nothing in terms of evolution. It's a it's a here. It's a Moment a moment So humans adapt much faster and they adapt much faster They change much faster and the change was faster because they control evolution through environment Now there is this addendum which says are we headed towards a trans humanist future? What do you mean by that humanist not in the sense of you human human Humanism or humanism trans humanist future implies that In the future Technologies will integrate seamlessly with human beings So you will have for example combinations of artificial intelligence and your intelligence and you will be one like the chip You said like the chip would be implanted in your brain. It's an example And so you we will be we will all become cyborgs cyborgs combinations of technology and and hitherto humans Combined into a single entity. That's one version of the trans humanist future and Transhumanism simply means humanity as it is today will cease to exist and be replaced with some kind of variance Could be combination of you humans and technology could be only technology controlling humans could be so Question is well, will there be a danger of stratification for instance where societies remain as as they are as we are and others who have the means would Turn themselves into ever mention It's always the case that Technologies are first adopted by by the rich but the wealthy and they have an advantage for a while For example smartphones were first adopted by businessman very wealthy people So they had an advantage over you because they became much more mobile and it was very short But it was short. So the hope is in realities that Technology that because of the profit motive because of capitalism There is a strong urge and a strong impetus a strong incentive to make technology affordable so I believe that this technology will be widespread, but there is another it could be At the end result could be stratified but between Luddites and and Technophiles, so you could have groups of people. What's the first Luddites? LU DDITES Luddites are people who reject technology So for example when the weaving the weaving Machine was invented by high grieves are grieves in Britain the automatic weaver Manual weavers of fabric destroyed these machines. Okay, so this is called Luddism anyhow You could have in the future groups of people who would say I would never ever put a chip in my head and Other groups of people would say of course I want to put a chip in my head It would make me a we see this now in an anti vaccination. We see of course People in the United States of America who live in in in the attire and in homes of the 18th century Yeah, and so and survivalists who live in mountains and so on. Yes So I that's a perfect example because the technology will change the environment you will have the possibility to insert a chip in your head Those who reject this will be disadvantaged Because I will know every language in the world. I will have access to the encyclopedia Britannica I will make calculations in the speed of light. You will not because you refuse to put a chip in your head Who will women prefer to have children with you or me? Oh With it guy majority will go with me. There'll be a tiny minority of women who are like you They don't want to put a chip in there. Yes, okay, but majority will go with me with the likes of me So this will have a reproductive advantage This is perfect example of our culture Continuous evolution because then my children are much more likely to have a chip in the head So a chip in the head humanity will be the next iteration the next stage in evolution Driven by technology not by genes technology is the principle of natural selection It will be natural selection by culture and this is what they mean when they say co-evolution Ah one last thing. Yes, it can go alright. It can go bad We could have a process of negative selection or for example If society becomes a hell of a lot more narcissistic and a hell of a lot more psychopathic as I believe It's well is is the case not already is happening. I believe we see it in leaders Like yes in leaders in in the population for example college students the incidence of narcissism among college students It's five times more than in the 80s. So If society becomes more narcissistic and psychopathic There will be a big temptation To use culture and technology and societal structures and institutions to subjugate to bring about here a narcissistic psychopathic world It all depends on us which choices we make because we can shape our evolution as we see fit As we see fit we are gods in this sense We are the only species that shapes his evolution with his own two hands But we really were created in the image of God in this sense. We are creators Now other animals they use tools and yes, they have societies and But I don't think any animal would reach the level of consciousness of realizing that it can shape its own future This is only human beings. Yes, and they are bad human beings They are evil human beings there are and they are more and more of them And so it can the whole process can go seriously alright seriously bad. It's a warning