evolution/technology.

[nix-j-c]

i reckon that humans have stopped evolving because of technology ie medicine allowing many more people to survive rather than survival of the fittest. but if technology was developing slower than the rate of evolution would we still evolve. OR are we evolving but slower OR are people living in the modern world not evolving and people such as the nomads who havent developed much for a couple of thousand years still evolving OR is even their rate of advancement to quick for them to evolve anymore OR is everyone stil evolving but because of timescales its hard to see?

[R1Geezer]

In the conventional sense you are correct, essentially mankind has slowed or halted traditional "survival of the fittest" evolution. However what if the state of intelligence and therefore the ability to advance technologically was in fact a sort of evolution overdrive, ie a bit like a runner evolving to be able to do a 4 minute mile and at the same time inventing the car to make that unnecessary. Food for thought!

[jake-the-peg]

And what percentage of the world's population do you think have access to the sort of medecine that is having this effect?

[nix-j-c]

very good points.

so do you think that the people without the medicine ect will carry on evolving / faster than richer people if richer people carry on evolving.

will this lead to subspecies?

[colinha]

I cannot remember the source, but I recently read that humans are evolving rapidly. We have very recently gained lactose tolerance, colored eyes, pale skins and much more.
Without more gene sharing, the various racial groups will become species
As an aside, it is chimps, not humans, that have changed most genetically since we diverged even though the appearance of humans would seem to contradict this.

[newtron]

Actually, for Jake's example, the people who do not have access to modern medicine and care are the ones who will die off. The people who do have access to modern medicine are the "fittest".

[fo3nix]

Read up about temes and memes :)

Susan Blackmore's talk at TED is good.

[mollykins]

Even though we have lost our hair, will women grow it back on their clevage, because of all the clevage they show?