Does technology serve to stifle human evolution or simply change its direction?
2007-03-02 16:26:52 · 5 answers · asked by audionaut 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Technology changs the survival environment of the human species (and other species as well ... but you asked about humans).
This doesn't just mean the environment (as in an environmental sense, although that's certainly part of it), but the *survival environment*.
- The technology of medicine allows individuals to survive and reproduce who might otherwise have not passed on their genes.
- The technology of travel lets humans all over the globe meet and mate. Without it, a natives of Japan, Turkey, Africa, England, and Australia would have had absolutely no chance of meeting, much less mating ... now there is no such geographical barriers. So the human race will become more racially dispersed.
- The technologies of energy production allow us to live in areas previously uninhabitable. The same humans can survive at the equator or in Greenland. So there is dependence on the immediate environment.
- The technology of clothing ... same thing. The same humans can live anywhere.
- The technology of food production reduces competition for resources. (Or at least it should.) So things that used to be advantageous (such as physical strength) are less important.
2007-03-02 16:50:32 · answer #1 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Technology does change the direction we go. Its called evolution. The affects of it are that we do things easier and evolve into another direction. Ex. The iron age. It changed the direction of people as well as that bronze age. We are allways going to face change. If we did not we still would be in the dark ages. Is it for the good or bad.? Thats a matter of opinion
2007-03-02 16:36:52 · answer #2 · answered by Jerry G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who can say? We have not had technology long enough to changes allele frequencies over time; not that much time. True, that people who would have not reproduced in the past now do, but mating is still assortive and these people may be no ones ancestors, as they may not pass beneficial traits. This would have the effect of neutralizing their genetic contribution to the gene pool. Technology is part of the environment, though, so it has it's share of effect on the phenotype. I do not know if the effect is enough to answer your question, though.
2007-03-02 17:11:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nothing stifles evolution, it just changes it's direction.
2007-03-02 16:35:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
technogly is beggening to own peoples lives
2007-03-02 16:30:10 · answer #5 · answered by The Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋