Evolution starting to reverse?

Question

Do you think parts of the UK population are in a way de-evolving(if such a term exists)? You know, there's a great deal stupidness and selfishness going around.

Answer 1

When it does, it's called Devolution...

Answer 2

Well we have had devolution in Scotland and Wales so you could have a point.

seriously, I don't think we are reversing, but technology has made us so sophisticated that most of us are getting left behind. For example most of us can use a PC but how many actually understand how the technology works?

Fewer still could write a programme and fewer still build a whole operational PC.

Answer 3

I'm with you on that one

Answer 4

There has always been a great deal of stupidness and shelfishness, not just in the UK but worldwide. All one has to do is look to the people in the middle east to see that in some places things havent changed in thousands of years. The problem isnt de-evolution it is increased awarness on the part of some and desensitivity on the part of others.

Answer 5

De-evolving. ( if such a term exists ) No, it does not exist. Evolution does not have direction. And to those of you that think natural selection has been suspended; you are wrong. This must be some social science concept, as I see it too often on this site.

Answer 6

I doubt that your question is serious and more likely a comment of the stupidity of some but to answer the question, there is really no such thing as reverse evolution.  The path of our evolution wasn't necessarily one where we became smarter and more human like through time.  There are pushes and pulls in the environment and individual niches that determine what is the ideal intelligence.  Selfishness is not anything new and I personally doubt that it is greater anymore than before especially genetically.

Answer 7

well natural selection no longer really comes into play any more with the UK population, so its no longer survival of the fittest but more like...survival of the richest, or the prettiest. Some people are quite stupid and selfish, i agree, but there are still a lot of people out there who arent. but that's an interesting idea.

Answer 8

OK - what non-human examples do you have of de-evolving?

I'd be more concerned about the genetic issues as the "survival of the fittest" has been removed form the evolution armory.

.

Answer 9

What evidence do you have that everyone was smarter in the past?

Or less selfish?

In fact, these have always been pretty common.

Between better nutrition and earlier education, believe it or not, we're actually getting smarter, on average. (We meaning people; I don't live in the UK.)

Answer 10

If anything, people might grow less intelligent as well-educated adults have fewer and fewer children.  That could be interesting.