"Michael Ragland"  wrote in message
news:cavq60$153r$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
>
> Tim:
>
> I was responding to dkomo's comments in what appears to be
his
> confidence in the progressiveness of Darwinian evolution
(not just in
> the past but the present), not to your essay. I personally
don't see any
> grand vision of the far distant future merely riding on
the engines of
> Darwinian evolution. As you know I'm a big advocate of
possible uses of
> genetic engineering of humans and this would mark a change
in the course
> of Darwinian evolution. I'm not knowledeable enough to
know if
> widespread application of genetic engineering would
eventually lead to
> Homo Sapiens becoming extinct and dramatically
influencing, if
> gradually, the course of Darwinian evolution. My guess is
it would over
> the long haul. So we are really talking about another
species creating
> this grand vision of the far off future, not us. We can
dream about it,
> fantasize about and speculate about it but ultimately I
don't see a
> "grand vision" of the future being made possible by Homo
Sapiens. The
> most they could be said to contribute would be devising
their own exit
> as a species and this would be mainly through the
discoveries of
> scientists, research, etc. Eventually there would be
genetic engineering
> applications and gradually over a long period of time
(I'll be
> optimistic and say hundreds of years) a new species will
be created
> through genetic engineering. I think only a fool would
thing Darwinian
> evolution will be responsible for our next possible
speciation.

Michael; as you may know, I also have been preaching the far
future (maybe not _too_ far) genetic engineering of Homo
sap. for quite a while here--also with the understanding
that, ultimately, there will be numerous interstellar
diasporas of our species, or
rather post-species (plural,) amongst other stars and
planets. I agree it's possible that Homo sap. as we know her
will disappear completely from the universe in hundreds of
thousands, to millions of years, however I doubt it.

More likely I think will be the dispersion of post-human
species into, let's call it, Polyhomo sap., namely, a
spectrum of
myriad "genengineered" varieties of creatures--capable, if
desired, of reproducing themselves in vitro, on demand. Of
course, there will be a norm of predominant forms (which may
still be called "species" although they afford much greater
variation than the classic term permits,) but all Polyhomo
sap. creatures will continue to be characterized as "human"
by the criterion of their minimal brain complexity,
organization, and power in comparison to the progenitor
human brain. Poly-saps designed to live on hellholes as
varied as Venus, Pluto, and perhaps even gas giants someday,
will still be able to greet each other...and still call
themselves brothers! :)        ...tonyC

> When you say brains the size of planets do you mean like
an
> interconnected network of brains? The Borg? What
technology would be
> used to farm stars by making them deliberately collide? I
can believe we
> possibly will get into sophisticated technology which
would look like
> magic to us but so far it seems you are operating on faith
i.e.
> extending greatly the theoretical and perhaps
not-so-theoretical
> possible uses of today's technology into the future.
>
> Michael Ragland
>
>
> Michael Ragland  wrote or quoted:
> You sure sound confident in relating Dawkin's view of the
> progressiveness of Darwinian evolution. What do you forsee
for the next
> millions of years? [...]
> Forseeing the far future is always challenging.
> However, I figure it will consist of an advanced
civilazation.
> There will be brains the size of planets.
> Stars will be farmed - by means of deliberate collisions.
> Life will get into sophistated technology that will look
to us like
> magic.
> --
> __________
> |im |yler http://timtyler.org/ tim{at}tt1lock.org Remove lock
to
> reply.
>
> A professor asked a student, "If you had a choice between
the oppressed
> and the oppressor which would you choose." The student
replied,
> "Neither". The Professor shook his head and stated, "You
don't have a
> choice." The student paused and said, "The oppressed".
>
>
>
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