Wednesday 9 April 2014

Post-Apocalyptic A to Z: Human evolution gone wrong

Whatever happens to our civilization, whether we destroy it or keep on going, evolution will continue. But what if it all goes horribly wrong? Scientists already worry about the hormones and additives in our food, as well as harmful chemicals in everyday objects like plastic bottles.

Now evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics has presented a theory that the human race will split into two. Within 100,000 years, he says, there will be an elite upper class, and a shorter, uglier, dumb underclass. As the two types of human diverge, they will become increasingly isolated genetically becasue they will prefer spouses from their own kind.

This is all a bit reminiscent of the Eloi and Morlocks in The Time Machine.

Curry also warns against the effects technology may have on the human species. Improved medicine will mean weaker people survive into adulthood and pass their frailties to the next generation. Also, a lack of exercise will make people physically weaker, like the Eloi who regularly get raided by the Morlocks.

I'm not sure we can really hope to predict what will happen in 100,000 years, but it's fun to speculate!

4 comments:

Cifar said...

Nice one thought provoking I should say.
I have followed your blog and I hope you will do the same.
I am blogging at The Other Side for A to Z challenge.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Sean--I just looked in the mirror (bed-head, bags under my eyes) and have discovered...I have ALREADY become part of the shorter, the uglier class.

Yikes. It's happening NOW. ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think the movie Wall-E might be more accurate than we think as we are well on our way to being let fit and less engaged with each other.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm more inclined to think humans will disappear from the earth altogether, much like the dinosaurs. I doubt we'll go out with a bang, though. I suspect it will be more like a whimper....

Looking for more from Sean McLachlan? He also hangs out on the Civil War Horror blog, where he focuses on Civil War and Wild West history.

You can also find him on his Twitter feed and Facebook page.