Where are the X-Men?

[SkyWriting]

For starters, evolution does not predict large-scale leaps along the lines of the X-Men. However, there are mutations, in the real sense, that allow people to be almost "superhuman". For example, sports superstars with much higher-than-average hand-eye coordination. Or endurance athletes with extremely high lung capacity. Or swimmers with disproportionately large hands and feet. The sorts of things that allow people like LeBron James or Micheal Phelps to be much better at what they do than the rest of us are capable of.

But in terms of evolution, they don't really help a whole lot with survival or reproduction. Being a good basketball player or swimmer doesn't have any real effect on either of those things. Superstar athletes (or superstar academics, or superstar artists, or superstar poker players, etc.) don't procreate at any greater rate than the rest of us. In fact, it could be argued that the demands of being a superstar anything are actually detrimental to reproduction, since they have to devote so much time to being a superstar and therefore cannot devote as much time to being a parent.

Add into that the fact that there is not the same struggle for survival among humans that generally drives evolution, and even if someone was born the power to control and manipulate metal it wouldn't do much to improve their survival, let alone to enough of a degree to allow the power to spread through the human population.

So you also have no concrete examples of well evolved humans.

 

[SkyWriting]

Then there will be 2 classes of people , the Programmers will be Aristocrats and the rest mere consumers. The Programmers will still have intelligence and the rest not.

Programmers are not highly paid now. Millions more are in the pipeline even as programming
becomes easier for the non technical. Mere mortals can create 3-D products at home with little training.
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20131...-source-3d-printer-smartrap-on-indiegogo.html

 

[Skaloop]

You make some good points.

Thanks!

How is the theory of evolution science if it cannot make predictions based on definable current facts and conditions?

Evolutionary theory does make predictions. Quite specific ones.

Granted the fanciful powers of fictional XMen might not be the kinds of things that would enhance either survivability or reproduction. What kinds of mutations would be improvements in these areas likely to contribute to the evolution of humanity?

Depends on the environment and the selective pressures.

Can you point to any evidence that these are actually happening?

That what are happening?

 

[Skaloop]

So you also have no concrete examples of well evolved humans.

All humans are well evolved.

 

[mindlight]

Thanks!



Evolutionary theory does make predictions. Quite specific ones.

Which mainly sound like rationalisations after the event. Where have predictions been made about human evolution that have been proven true!?

Depends on the environment and the selective pressures.

Translates as whatever happens can be rationalised after the event to be because of it .

That what are happening?

When has evolutionary theory ever anticipated a leap in human capability BEFORE the event!?

 

[Simpleman25]

Yeah ! Actually that's very close to the Masonic ideal

How is that even remotely true? What is the Masonic ideal?

 

[Melethiel]

The human species has "left" evolution because of our technology. Evolutionary pressures are not quite as important - after all, we are keeping certain genes alive because of our medical technology which are not in the least beneficial for survival. Regardless however, even if that wasn't the case, there is absolutely no evolutionary reason why anyone would develop laser vision. Don't get your science from comic books.

There are some recent examples of human evolution, however. For example, the Sherpas in Nepal have evolved to survive easily at altitudes where most other people get sick. That was driven by their environment.

 

[sfs]

How is the theory of evolution science if it cannot make predictions based on definable current facts and conditions?

Evolutionary biology makes predictions all the time. For example, it predicted that we would find large numbers of genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees and CpG sites in the genome -- and we did. It predicted that a mutation near the lactase gene would turn out to cause lactase persistence in adult Europeans -- and it did. The list is endless. Maybe you just don't know what kind of predictions scientists are looking for.

Granted the fanciful powers of fictional XMen might not be the kinds of things that would enhance either survivability or reproduction. What kinds of mutations would be improvements in these areas likely to contribute to the evolution of humanity?

In much of the world, resistance to HIV and to P. falciparum malaria. (The latter has already occurred to some extent.) In the developed world, the main mutation that would increase reproductive fitness would be one that gave people a desire to have more children.

Can you point to any evidence that these are actually happening?

I can certainly point to evidence that natural selection for mutations conferring disease resistance, tolerance for changes in diet and lighter skin pigmentation have been happening.

 

[mindlight]

The human species has "left" evolution because of our technology. Evolutionary pressures are not quite as important - after all, we are keeping certain genes alive because of our medical technology which are not in the least beneficial for survival. Regardless however, even if that wasn't the case, there is absolutely no evolutionary reason why anyone would develop laser vision. Don't get your science from comic books.

There are some recent examples of human evolution, however. For example, the Sherpas in Nepal have evolved to survive easily at altitudes where most other people get sick. That was driven by their environment.

So evolution no longer explains very much about the development of human beings. Microevolutionary changes occur in people in certain types of harsh environment.

Alternatively Evolution does not really explain how humans got to their current state either and the Sherpas adaptation is evidence of the flexibility of the Creators design.

 

[mindlight]

Evolutionary biology makes predictions all the time. For example, it predicted that we would find large numbers of genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees and CpG sites in the genome -- and we did. It predicted that a mutation near the lactase gene would turn out to cause lactase persistence in adult Europeans -- and it did. The list is endless. Maybe you just don't know what kind of predictions scientists are looking for.

The human genome is already there. So you have a theory that is able to rationalise some regional configurations before the actual scientific observations.

So you needed Evolution to work out that chimps and humans were different!

Even if you were able to provide an actual prediction of a major change before it happened it may well be that the theory you are using is an overly complicated and ultimately false way of doing that. Indeed how is it any different from a comparison of the preCopernican predictions about how the planets moved. There also with the Ptolemaic system you had a highly complicated theory that was able to predict the movement of planets without a real understanding of what was going on.

In much of the world, resistance to HIV and to P. falciparum malaria. (The latter has already occurred to some extent.) In the developed world, the main mutation that would increase reproductive fitness would be one that gave people a desire to have more children.

I can certainly point to evidence that natural selection for mutations conferring disease resistance, tolerance for changes in diet and lighter skin pigmentation have been happening.

Undoubtedly human beings adapt and change. The ones that survive the great plagues are the ones that breed and pass on their immunity. Thus far is common sense and evidence of microevolutionary adjustments to a changing natural world. For me that is evidence of the flexibility of the Creators design and also intervention in the circumstances of individual lives. Why for instance does one twin die of the plague and the other survive. These are adaptations but the basic design remains the same. A real prediction would be of major changes to the actual design of human beings and has never been made. Also does Evolutionary Biology really give us the tools to say that this person will live and this one die consistently or does it just get lucky sometimes

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

If evolution is true then surely it should be an ongoing process. So mankind for instance would still be evolving and adapting . Of course there is a sense which we continually adapt to our environment so I am not referring to microevolutionary change and small scale adaptations but rather about evidence of the big jumps to a new superior higher form of human existence.

The superior adaptations should be surviving at the expense of those which are not. In short we should be seeing people with distinct advantages (even special powers) evolving amongst us and people for example with deficiencies like short sight or an obesity problem should be dying out.

The apparent lack of evidence for this master race in our midst and even despite having a living sample of 7 billion people now available for real time scientific research might be considered an argument against evolution.

Prove me wrong if you can , provide evidence of the X-Men amongst us! Even better name one!

No mutation could possibly give you the ability to teleport or shoot concussive force out of your eyeballs.

 

[theFijian]

Prove me wrong if you can , provide evidence of the X-Men amongst us! Even better name one!

I'm using my e-ray vision right now, so you ought to really put your pants back on.