What is the future of human evolution?

Question

Human changes the environment, instead of the environment changes us ( We invented AC to cool down instead of losing more hair). Does this mean we reach the end of evolution?

Answer 1

A super virus will take us all out one day.

Coach

Answer 2

now, that is what I call a real brain-teaser: It plugs into a lot of topics: Theology, evolutionary history, sociology and biotechnology:
(I'll skip theology: It is a pretty touchy subject)

Evolutionary history:
Species have always evolved to adapt to the changing environment. To quote from Jurassic Park: "Life always finds a way". A lot of historians like to believe tha the human brain is shrinking and therefore evolving. It also shows in the way the generations are speeding up in intelligence and adaptation. I am definitely smarter than my father, and my kids would be smarter than me. Why I mention the brain in particular is, that the evolution of intellligence is the single most evident hallmark of human evolution from Ice to stone to Iron to machine to Information age, and is the single biggest differentiator in evolution. So the future humans could be expected to be (by our standards), superlatively intelligent, capable of solving complex problems easily.

Sociology and Environment:
Considering that the adaptaion of species to the natural changes in the environment are a historically proven fact, we also need to take into account the "Artificial" changes in the environment introduced by humans, like environmental changes introduced by pollution, fast dont-give-a-damn lifestyles, and "complete delegation" of intelligence to intelligent machines like computers. These could actually offset the natural process of evolution as dictated by Darwin's theories

Biotechnology:
Now, this is what introduces the unpredictable kink in all the above arguments. With new technologies like Genetic Modification and cloning, we are not very far away from "Made-to-order" offsprings, that carry a particular set of human characteristics as dominant features, bound to make the others recessive. The whole process proposes to catalyze (or, as some people put it, "Interfere with"), the natural evolutionary process.

From what I can visualize, humans a few score years (mark you, not a few thousand), will have to have the following characteristics:
1. Huge lungs and much-developed respiratory systems, to filter out from teh air all the pollutants
2. Extremely developed brains and neural structures, 'cos that tops the charts on the parents' wish list for their kids, and GM can do it
3. much weaker limbs and skeleto-muscular structures, owing to much lesser use left for them (Our generation already suffers from Ortho-problems at 40)
4. Smaller and less potent digestive systems, owing toi more and more "Pure" foods that we continue to ingest: Pure fats, pure carbohydrates, pure protiens, pure vitamins, All in isolation, unlike what mother nature has to offer in terms of, for example greens and fruits.


(Unless, of course, nature suddenly finds a way to retort, or a meteor strikes us: long live the doomsayers!!)

Answer 3

There is no end to evolution other than extinction. Without strong selective pressure physical traits may not define fitness. Little things we didn't anticipate may create the greatest advantages.

Answer 4

these answers arent evolution... look at how much bigger, smarter and stronger we have gotten over the past generations. Selective breeding will help us follow down this path

Answer 5

If something is not done about the way we are treating mother earth, total self destruction in several hundred years.

Answer 6

You'll get your answer before long - - - like a couple of million years.

Answer 7

Humanity will commit suicide if we continue our crazy mode of live