The future's hot

[j4]

It sounds as though by the year 3000 we're all going to be walking around with our tongues hanging out, and I'm not talking about global warming now:

"[...] men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises.

Women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features [...]"

[BBC News: 'Human species may split in two']

Comments

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Complete failure to understand how evolution works, film at eleven.

Which is probably for the best, for those of us who are attracted to variety.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

Pre-empted! (http://www.badscience.net/?p=315)

[j4.livejournal.com]

I say, if that really is Dr Curry in that photo, then I wouldn't say no to a bit of selective breeding...

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I missed that. I've often thought that while normal selection pressures don't really apply, we should expect eventually to start selecting for things people fancy, however odd that seems.

I do wonder, do they really expect penis length selection? Leave aside how important penis length is, the more visibly attractive you are (in any way, not just physically) it seems likely you'd be exposed to more potential relationships, and likely breed more, but if you're good in bed, are your relationships that much more likely to last, really?

You might get more sleeping around, but would people choose to get pregnant very much? Agh, I suppose a tendency to get pregnant by lotharios might be selected for -- if their sons are equally successful. But that only works if everyone else does too. Agh, I've got a headache :)

For that matter, will we evolve to cheat birth control?

And why will we segregate into two species? Is that just made up, or based on science not linked to? I expected they meant greater sexual dimorphism. Why is "attractiveness" any different from any other linear selected for quality, which mostly just make everyone gradually more so.

[teleute.livejournal.com]

I may be in the minority here, but personally, I'm selecting for *shorter* penises. Personally, I think this report is very clearly written by a man ;-)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I may be in the minority here, but personally, I'm selecting for *shorter* penises.

LOL. I didn't know about the validity of their assumption I assumed he was making, but decided not to bring it up.

Personally, I think this report is very clearly written by a man ;-)

That's what I assumed. Though I guess it could still be right -- maybe men with small penises are more shy, because of social pressure :) That'd be a joint memetic/genetic evolution, but it could happen.

*thinks* For that matter, what about anal sex for men? I've never asked what sort of penis is best. Of course, the best would be selected *against* :)

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

They are ignoring the impact of online dating. Clearly we will evolve EXTRA FINGERS.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

But only as a stepping stone to USB ports in the back of our skulls.

[j4.livejournal.com]

Don't Feed The Fetish!

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that wasn't the intent. [ At this point I think you should be confident that if it were the intent there'd not be any ambiguity about the matter. *hug* ]

[j4.livejournal.com]

Heheh - true. And no apology required!

[barnacle.livejournal.com]

Or a third hand, so we can keep on typing.

[juggzy.livejournal.com]

May develop?

[j4.livejournal.com]

You are teh super-evolved!

[aardvark179.livejournal.com]

Well, if online dating is on the rise then having the desired attributes, or lying about having them until it's too late, are equally good. So super-evoled by default!

[kaet.livejournal.com]

Whereas we all know that it's all going to pan out as scheduled in Zager and Evans seminal futurological work:

2525: questionable continuing existence of humanity
3535: effects of will determined by pharmacutical
4545: sensory organs defunct
5555: motor functions defunct
6565: selective eugenic artificial insemination
7510: possible start date for Armageddon (Phase I)
8510: potential start of earth rebuild
9595: probable environmental catastrophe

Bang the nuts together, guys

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

So.. women are evolving into Kylie Minogue...

For this, we descended from the trees?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_swallow/]

What an embarrassing wank fantasy!

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

It's a bit conventional, but I'm not sure fantasies for that purpose aren't inherently embarrassing if dragged out in the wrong context, whatever their content.

Though this one is also embarrassingly unreconstructed gender-essentialist, which makes me want to hit people with fish of sufficient size that the process requires a trebuchet.

[j4.livejournal.com]

I'd post a more interesting one, but my future employers are probably reading this journal. I don't mind them knowing I indulge in the odd lazily lecherous thought, but I'd hate to think of them reading about how I'd much rather **** * ****** with a ****** and the *********** from the *** on the ******** where **** ***** while s/he ********s. Twice.

[kaet.livejournal.com]

BTW, apropos of not a lot, I was looking for an english version of Die Hamletsmaschine (Die Hamletmaschine (in English) (http://www.efn.org/~dredmond/Hamletmachine.PDF)) and wondered if you'd read it? It's only eight pages long, and just flicking through it thought you might find it interesting. mobbsy has a CD of Einstuerzende Neubauten performing it (in German, unfortunately).

actually no ...

[anat0010.livejournal.com]

Way too late reply here, but..

Those of us who are better endowed, handsome and intelligent are being quickly diluted in the gene pool by the early and rapid breeding denziens of the deep and dark estates on the outskirts of town.

I predict a human race consiting of fat, lecherous individuals with an equal thirst for sex and beer. Hitting puberty at 8 they will reproduce once every 2 years until the age of 40.

Mouths will become redundant, apart from shouting and squeezing through a constant supply of chips. Legs will become shorter and stouter to be able to carry the weight of vast guts. Fingers will fuse to form a sort of flipper adapted to holding chip papers (in horizontal plane) and beer cans (in vertical plane). Flippers will also assist in frequent fights between males, and in juvenile education by females.