I've thought about this quite a bit over the past few months. On the basis that humanity is ensuring old age for the infirm, unstable, disabled and injured can Darwin's theory still hold as the majority of the populous is getting more and more 'unfit' ?
There are many examples of this, for example, according to Darwin's theory death would ensue from the following problems, which humans deal with on a routine basis:
- Caesarian birth
- Appendicitis
- cardiac arrest ...the list goes on
So as we're getting more obese and dealing with issues like Aid's, Cancer, stroke & dementia (
The top 10 causes of death) we need to ask are we bypassing evolution and therefore preventing the human race from progression ?
I don't think so. I used to think that we were doomed (and we still might be. Read 'Breeds There a Man…?' by Isaac Asimov) but not for the reasons I thought originally.
Because I believe that the survival of the fittest is still relevant when measured by a different yard stick. If you consider intelligence,creativity and cunning then we're still up there. Society at large is getting more educated and the more successful people are either creative or cunning (or both). We're still a success story in spite of the sedentary masses.
You can (possibly) deal with cancer in one of two ways
1.) Let cancer take it's course and over millennia we (may) beat it (or we may not). This is Darwins theory by the measure of strength.
2.) Try drugs and other forms of radiation therapy etc until we (possibly) find a medicinal way to beat cancer. This is Darwin's theory by the measure of intelligence.
The same goes for Aids, aging, dementia and everything else. It depends on perspective and interpretation of the theory.
Just my thoughts.
