What next, 2+2 is really 5?

I Try that one when working out my productivity/bonus payments ,
The accounts department just won`t have it , hmff
But with government mish maths its `just another day at the office`

There's nothing complicated about evolution. The weak die off, the strong make the next generation. Until we messed it up and protected the weak.

Wrong.

It's the whole basis of the concept. If 50% of people die in contact with a certain virus, the next generation is made up of the offspring of the other 50%. I can't believe you're denying something this well known. What next, 2+2 is really 5?

You are wrong on several counts.
1. I would say that evolution is not an acccepted scientific principle. You either misquoted me or misunderstood me.

2. Your rigid, simplistic description is insufficient to explain what evolution is, how it works and what Darwin meant by "survival of the fittest." Kindly allow me to enlighten you.

Evolution is not a battle between the strong and the weak. You misunderstand "Survival of the fittest."

Survival means living long enough to pass your genes onto the next generation (although in 1859, Darwin didn't know about genes). The "fittest" does not mean the strongest. It means those indiividuals who are best adapted to the environmental condiitions at the time and place where they live. Those adaptions give them a better chance of surviving long enough to pass on their genes than those who lack those traits.

When the environment or the food sources change, those traits may no longer offer a survival advantage and those species will be less fit, not less strong.

New mutations occur more or less randomly over many generations.The changes need not be physically or statistically large. But iver a long time, and multiple generations, small survival advantages have large repurcussions. Some mutations will be beneficial and make indiividuals more fit for a new environment.

Some species develop mutations that are too specialized and those will be evolutionary dead ends.

And that, in a nutshell, is how evolution works. In evolutionary terms, there is no reason for 80 year-old men like me to exist. We do not partiicipate in the gene pool. (Although some studies indicate that grandparents enhance the survival of the species by looking after the young long enough for them to enter the gene pool.)

If it were simply the strongest vs. the weakest, the dinosaurs would still be alive and small proto-rodents would not have proliiferated. But environmental conditions changed and the dinosaurs were not fit for the new conditions. The small rodents were ideally fit.

Generalists are species that can eat many foods or survive in a variety of conditions,. They have beter chances of survival than specialists, who depend on a certain plant, animal or environmental niche to survive. That is why rats, roaches and flies are found almost everywhere in the world (assisted by the presence of humans, who are also found almost everywhere in the world.)

[quote]Humans are generalists. We can eat almost anything organic and can live almostt anywhere, assisted by technology. The main survival adaptation that allows us to live anywhere in the world is CULTURE. which is learned behavior passed along to successive generations but not by genetics. Culture is the primary human adaption which allows us to develop the technology to survive in the arctic, tropics and desert regions of the world, occupying them very quickly in historical terms.

The massive envirnmental changes that killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago were probably the result of the Chixilub meteor impact. That caused very quick change, relelasing huge amounts of debris and ash in the atmospherre, restructing sunlight, causuing unending global winter and the extnction of many plants and animals, ioncluding the dinosaurs.

Human activities have changed the atmosphere in only 200 years and those changes are accelerating rapidly.

Glaciers are melting and deserts are expanding worldwide. Sea levels are rising, killing the wetlands and mangroves that are the breeding grounds for thousands of species of fish

Plants and animals cannot adapt to these climate changes quickly enough.

We are witnessing -- causing-- the greatest extinction event in millions of years.

I predict that you will dismiss all this and claim it is a girly outlook. But you may live long enough for it to affect you personally.

You are wrong on several counts.
1. I would say that evolution is not an acccepted scientific principle. You either misquoted me or misunderstood me.

Only religious nuts dismiss evolution.

2. Your rigid, simplistic description is insufficient to explain what evolution is, how it works and what Darwin meant by "survival of the fittest." Kindly allow me to enlighten you.

Evolution is not a battle between the strong and the weak. You misunderstand "Survival of the fittest."

Survival means living long enough to pass your genes onto the next generation (although in 1859, Darwin didn't know about genes). The "fittest" does not mean the strongest. It means those indiividuals who are best adapted to the environmental condiitions at the time and place where they live. Those adaptions give them a better chance of surviving long enough to pass on their genes than those who lack those traits.

Which is precisely what I said, but more longwinded.

When the environment or the food sources change, those traits may no longer offer a survival advantage and those species will be less fit, not less strong.

But they will maintain their improvement should the environment change back.

New mutations occur more or less randomly over many generations.The changes need not be physically or statistically large. But iver a long time, and multiple generations, small survival advantages have large repurcussions. Some mutations will be beneficial and make indiividuals more fit for a new environment.

You're still agreeing with me. Those of us with an unusual immunity to a nasty virus are the ones who survive. Thereby the virus dies out.

Some species develop mutations that are too specialized and those will be evolutionary dead ends.

Gotta try everything.

And that, in a nutshell, is how evolution works. In evolutionary terms, there is no reason for 80 year-old men like me to exist. We do not partiicipate in the gene pool. (Although some studies indicate that grandparents enhance the survival of the species by looking after the young long enough for them to enter the gene pool.)

There you go then, the longer you live, the better off your kids and grandkids will be, financially for example.

If it were simply the strongest vs. the weakest, the dinosaurs would still be alive and small proto-rodents would not have proliiferated. But environmental conditions changed and the dinosaurs were not fit for the new conditions. The small rodents were ideally fit.

I never said strongest, I said fittest.

Generalists are species that can eat many foods or survive in a variety of conditions,. They have beter chances of survival than specialists, who depend on a certain plant, animal or environmental niche to survive. That is why rats, roaches and flies are found almost everywhere in the world (assisted by the presence of humans, who are also found almost everywhere in the world.)

[quote]Humans are generalists. We can eat almost anything organic and can live almostt anywhere, assisted by technology. The main survival adaptation that allows us to live anywhere in the world is CULTURE. which is learned behavior passed along to successive generations but not by genetics. Culture is the primary human adaption which allows us to develop the technology to survive in the arctic, tropics and desert regions of the world, occupying them very quickly in historical terms.

We would be doing just fine without any technology, probably better. We would have lost all the weak we currently protect.

The massive envirnmental changes that killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago were probably the result of the Chixilub meteor impact. That caused very quick change, relelasing huge amounts of debris and ash in the atmospherre, restructing sunlight, causuing unending global winter and the extnction of many plants and animals, ioncluding the dinosaurs.

And many species did survive.

Human activities have changed the atmosphere in only 200 years and those changes are accelerating rapidly.

An ice age is pretty rapid. Our so called global warming may well abate the next one. Whatever happens, we'll adapt, and it'll be fun.

Glaciers are melting and deserts are expanding worldwide. Sea levels are rising, killing the wetlands and mangroves that are the breeding grounds for thousands of species of fish

The sea level rose long before we did anything, the English Channel, you could walk across it!

Plants and animals cannot adapt to these climate changes quickly enough.

They don't have to, some will survive, some won't. Or they'll migrate. Humans and bird do this easily. Plants can also do it from seeds moving in birds's guts or by the wind.

We are witnessing -- causing-- the greatest extinction event in millions of years.

I look out of the window and I see what I saw 45 years ago. Climate change is an excuse for politicians to exert control, it's a religion, and everyone's falling for it.

I predict that you will dismiss all this and claim it is a girly outlook. But you may live long enough for it to affect you personally.

I look forward to the fun. The UK is an average climate, we'll be fine here, any change will be within acceptable limits for humans. Places which are already hot, just move north. The Russians will love all the extra crop growth.

I would say that evolution is not an acccepted scientific principle.

I recommend that you read Darwin's "On the Origin of Species." It is one of the most influential books of all time.

I look out of the window and I see what I saw 45 years ago. Climate change is an excuse for politicians to exert control, it's a religion, and everyone's falling for it.

I made a terrible typo. What I meant was I would NEVER deny that evolution was accepted science. I'm an anthropologist ferchrissake. I used to teach this stuff.

It's obvious that no amount of reason, logic or data will convince you that your limited, nihilistic and self-absorbed perspective does not reflect the real world. Your view is more narrow and limited than nature, evolution, science and humanity. Your are already convinced that you know more than anybody else, that no other possibilities exist and that other points of view are worthless.

I look out of the window and I see what I saw 45 years ago. Climate change is an excuse for politicians to exert control, it's a religion, and everyone's falling for it.

45 ys are nothing.
And yes, climate change is a SCIENTIFIC fact.
Only Donald Trump think is not.

I would say that evolution is not an acccepted scientific principle.

??
Maybe creationists or Intelligent Design's followers think this.

I recommend that you read Darwin's "On the Origin of Species." It is one of the most influential books of all time.

I read it. But i also read "The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster". I

I belong to the Flying Spaghetti Monster FB group.

Or, if you prefer, a good book from a my compatriot, Telmo Pievani, "Imperfection"

45 ys are nothing.

And yes, climate change is a SCIENTIFIC fact.

Only Donald Trump think is not.

Do you think looking out your window and seeing the same thing you saw 45 years ago will give you a true picture of what is happening in the wider world? Maybe your window is not near an ocean where it would be threatened by rising seawater.

Maybe it's not in a hurricane-prone area.

Maybe it's not in an area that has had no rain in two years.

Then Spain wouldn't be able to grow food.

I prefer reality to what others tell me. I've looked at the actual stats. I've walked outside. Nothing's changed.

Half of Americans voted for him.

Only Donald Trump think is not.

Well, Donald Trump is not the only one who rejects the idea of climate change. Don't forget all the oil, gas and coal corporations, the entire Repubican party in the USA and evangelical religious fanatics.

I prefer reality to what others tell me. I've looked at the actual stats. I've walked outside. Nothing's changed.

I also prefer reality.
Every day i walk outside and see the sun running trought the sky and all thing stable on the earth.
So, the earth is at rest and the sun revolves around it. And Copernicus was wrong!!

Half of Americans voted for him.

Wow, that's science!!!

Only Donald Trump think is not.

Well, Donald Trump is not the only one who rejects the idea of climate change. Don't forget all the oil, gas and coal corporations, the entire Repubican party in the USA and evangelical religious fanatics.

Strange. In this list there aren't scientists.
Oh, no, it's not strange.

Bad analogy. You cannot tell what the frame of reference is. But you can tell what the weather is like.

It shows you have a 50% chance of being wrong.