Will evolution make us slower?

Prptoe wrote:

Traits like strength and endurance are no longer prominent factors in our day to day lives and do not usually determine how successfully we can provide for our families any more. Our lifestyles become increasingly sedentary.

If this trend continues will we be worse athletes 1,000 years from now?

At this point, world population is around 7 billion. Population experts predict a population of around 11 billion in 2050 and 25 billion by 2150. Hence the biological variety of humanity might seem to have an opportunity for greater expression of different genetic traits. At least a few of us will be pretty damn fast/strong.

But at the same time, of course, scientists increasingly understand the human genome, and they are developing techniques for genetic manipulation (gene spicing, etc.). At some point, surely within the next 1000 years, scientists will be able to "build" athletic capabilities at the genetic level into whoever is capable of paying for it. Athletes will be as fast or strong as they want to be.

coach d wrote:

Take a look at distance/marathon times. Hobby joggers are becoming slower, while the top athletes are much faster than they were.

As an example of a sport that emphasizes physical coordination and hand-eye coordination over brute power, take a look at the NHL. Players are getting bigger, stronger, faster, they hit harder, and the shoot harder. You see this trend in every pro sport. You even see this trend in distance running (Rudisha, Kiprop and others that height, as well as Bolt, would have been called too tall a couple of generations ago).

ENHANCED NATURAL SELECTION

The best athletes will be bigger, stronger, and faster.

The wannabes will pack up and quit (jog road races) earlier.

Lol.

yyy wrote:

yes, but intelligence is much more important today than we lived on the savannah. Therefore, compared to other skills (speed, strength) this relatively more important today and so

the selection pressure is different now.

Are you sure? I mean, you probably had to know a lot of stuff to survive in the wild. Many different types of plants and animals, how to prepare them, how to track animals, some understanding of how to predict weather, land navigation. Sure, maybe super high intelligence is important for a math professor or something, but I don't think the work of the average office drone is more demanding.

missed wrote:

Then why did you respond incorrectly to that guy's post?

I didn't. Sorry if you cannot comprehend that complex dialogue. Nothing in the syntax excluded one person being faced with both situations.

Critical Thinking wrote:

yyy wrote:

yes, but intelligence is much more important today than we lived on the savannah. Therefore, compared to other skills (speed, strength) this relatively more important today and so

the selection pressure is different now.

Are you sure? I mean, you probably had to know a lot of stuff to survive in the wild. Many different types of plants and animals, how to prepare them, how to track animals, some understanding of how to predict weather, land navigation. Sure, maybe super high intelligence is important for a math professor or something, but I don't think the work of the average office drone is more demanding.

I think people forget that not all people have to have enhanced traits for survival in order for the general trend to be progression to a higher level.

Not every member of an early African tribe was running down game and killing lions.

engineers, doctors... enuff said

Kiprop is extremely light. he is not an example of stronger and heavier. Rudisha is also no big dude compared to El Caballo. The trend is absent in LDR.