does any one else believe that humans will evolve beyond what we are now.or are we destined to be extinct..?

Answer 1

Well, nothing lasts for ever. The beings that we are may become "extinct". but humans will just keep evolving into bigger and better machines.

Answer 2

There is a fairly high likelyhood that the human race will become extinct at some point. The planet will not be around for ever.
With population growth, the capacity for conflict grows. Pollution increases and war becomes more likely.
Asteroid impact may cause mass extinction.
Diseases are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, so "plagues" are a growing possibility.
To top it off... the are no longer any mechanisms driving human evolution. The engine of biological change is elimination of the weak or poorly adapted by the stronger or better adapted. this engine of change no longer exists.
The only possibility of further evolution of the human race is a voluntary one. A decision that must be made as a species and involves bio-engineering. This brings up all manner of ethical questions.

Answer 3

I don't think that humanity's ability to survive is determined by further evolution: I think our bodies can still evolve but within limits, there are no radical changes to be expected. I think for thousands of years now, the survival is more based on technological progress than biological changes: sure we live longer, but it's thanks to medicine and nutrition and general improvement of quality of life.
On the other hand, if we don't use the next five billion years to find a way to live on a different planet, our extinction as species is guaranteed: Astronomers predict that this is when the Sun will become a White Giant in the normal process of aging of stars and will inflate and swallow the nearest planets, including the Earth. Even if its size should not increase so drastically, it will enlarge enough to turn the Earth into a scorching hot place, completely unlivable.
So, even if human bodies evolved, I am pretty certain we will never be able to survive in outer space without oxygen or in a lava stream, so the survival (even just looking at the threat of global warming) depends on our brains rather than our bodies. And yes, our capacity to think is a result of evolution, but are there further changes coming? I don't think so. Our brains are not going to grow and we are not going to be giant craniums wih miniature bodies living in machines. What needs to change is how we use what we already have :)

Answer 4

I think we would go extinct due to some clumsy politician trying to cut up coke on a red button while trying to get high


As for my serious answer, I do not think humanity will make it to the end of this century and if we do there will be another dark age coming and it will last a long time. The world of technological wonder we have will not be seen again any time soon.

If we humans do not die by our hand nor by some natural disaster, eventually (given a 1000 years or so.) human beings will go extinct due to the lack of human males to help continue the human race or at fertile ones. In short if nothing is done about this, we will fade away.

Answer 5

The natural evolution of mankind demands progressive development both in society and technology. However it takes usually several million years until a race completely changes as it is requited in order to survive, small steps of this metamorphosis can be seen in our modern society.

As an ultimate generative force in nature, sexuality used to play an important role in the life of our race. It is/was important to maintain population and to keep it above a certain level. When a race or population is low on numbers, this ultimate generative force works even more effectively in order to ensure the survival of the race.

Since the human race conquered the entire planet, our numbers are just growing faster and faster. We do not need to worry about the survival of the race, so sexuality plays a less important, more pleasure-centric role in our life. It works as an anti-depressant. Young or old, boy or girl, two or twenty, it does not matter.

As our technology improves we need to do less physical work, since machines are able to lift heavy objects, create other machines and repair themselves as well. Our technological development beginned in the very first 1000 years of mankind in the tool age. From stone knives we developed laser-knives, which are used in factories and high-tech companies. Since we do not need to do hard physical work, our built is not as strong as it was thousands of years before. On the other hand we haven't been able to invent the artificial intelligence (AI) yet, so we still need to use our brain very often.Our evolution moves towards a state where our body will be less important that our mental abilities. The size, capacity and effectiveness of our brain will increase, while our body will be less strong and effective.

In the end there is this mystical thing: ascension.

Ascension describes a process whereby an individual is able to transcend the physical plane of existence and move on to a higher plane. Ascension is described as the first step on an even greater journey toward further enlightenment and knowledge. There are several planes of existence, and there is some indication that there is a hierarchy to these planes.

However enlightenment describes a longer process whereby we collect knowledge. It is unknown if this process has an end somewhere. It is thought that the knowledge of the universe is infinite, meaning that no Ascended being can be described as all-knowing at any time. Initial Ascension is merely the beginning of the process of learning more.

I believe that in time mankind will reach ascension trough natural evolution. The best proof to this are those called indigo children, however they are not spiritually advanced, only have a few unknown psychic abilities. They sometimes feel wise beyond their years, they have trouble conforming to the ways of society, they feel out of place in today's world, they perceive the world very differently than most people around them, they have strong intuition about certain things that most others do not, they often feel misunderstood when they try to talk to people about what's real, they feel like they were born to accomplish a special mission in life, they feel isolated and alone in their beliefs, they are emotionally sensitive, they often feel disempowered by too much authority... etc.

I doubt we will simply extinct, however it isn't beyond possibility.

Answer 6

If you want a thorough discussion on this issue, check out the book, "The Singularity is Near", by Ray Kurzweil.

In it, he discusses the potential for genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and strong artificial intelligence, any or all of which can transform humanity into something we couldn't dream of a decade ago.

It's fascinating stuff, and very thoroughly researched and documented. His bibliography/endnotes are over 150 pages!

There's also a website about human evolution and technology at:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/index.html?flash=1

Answer 7

The human population is becoming diluted with people who only live to reproduce and those who follow the crowd.

Independent thinking, flexibility and intelligence are the key to evolution. Unfortunately, independent thinking is discouraged by most religions - in the sense that you are told what to believe, flexibility and intelligence are both down to the individual.

I believe it is going to take a huge global disaster, at the cost of many lives, before evolution can begin.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, evolution requires that the entity be subject to the effects of its environment in such a way that individual entities who can't adapt die before giving birth. Our current medical and other technology has made us pretty much immune to evolution, so I would say we are not likely to evolve again unless something happens that takes away our technology.

I don't see us becoming extinct though for the same reason, technology, unless we kill ourselves off with it!

Answer 9

I believe that someday we MAY become extinct but long after the end of any of our years and due to natural casue. And no I do not think we will ever evolve

Answer 10

Yes.

Humanity will continue to evolve, both physically and socially. That is part of Nature.

And evolution will continue until we become extinct.

After all, extinction is but the final step in evolution.

Doc

Answer 11

You should have watched the programme where scientists predict the future of our planet in set chunks of time. It related some theories as to how the earth and climate changes and how life changes to survive. Of course we are changing already, we are getting less hairy (think of the the hairy stone age men) and our skulls are changing shape (quite different from neanderthals, because our diet is better we are getting taller (which will lead to many bad backs im afraid).