Is your mind changing? Scientists think so

[Maple]

'Humans may be the brightest species on Earth, but provocative new research has concluded our brain has not yet reached its final form.

Scientists at the University of Chicago have found that two human genes involved in brain size and development are still evolving -- and, they suspect, mutating to make people smarter.

The team is so sure of its hunch that it has patented the genes with plans to develop tests to identify those who carry these potentially brain-boosting traits -- which appear to be more prevalent in some populations than others.'

SNIP

'In two papers published today in the journal Science, Dr. Lahn and his colleagues report that the specific gene mutations they have found appear to have swept across certain areas of the globe so quickly that they are practically the norm. With prevalence rates higher than 70 per cent in Europe, for example, the researchers argue that chance alone cannot explain the changes, which first sprung up at the same time that modern humans developed culture and language.'

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050909.wxbrain09/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/


Genes Show Signs Brain Still Evolving

More on this at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/08/AR2005090801254.html

in case the Globe and Mail archives it quickly, which they have a tendency to do.

'"There's a sense we as humans have kind of peaked," agreed Greg Wray, director of Duke University's Center for Evolutionary Genomics. "A different way to look at is it's almost impossible for evolution not to happen."

SNIP

"The genetic evolution of humans in the very recent past might in some ways be linked to the cultural evolution," he said.'

[villager]

1. Freepers really will be "left behind," then...

n/t

[valerief]

2. WGDJH?

What gene did Jesus have?

[tk2kewl]

3. It might explain what is wrong with the president...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3979084&mesg_id=3979084

[punpirate]

4. NEWS FLASH: Critical gene for intelligence...

... largely absent in top Bush administration officials. Film at 11.

[izzie]

5. Look what has happened to closed society

Your either going to keep up or fade out. I am not so sure that makes you smarter but more in tune with how things are done. Being smart does seem to play a part in that as smart people usually are more opened minded and can understand change or face it any how. Most seem to be-able to reason what change will mean and do try to adapt.And of course they usually marry the same type and then produce like kind whom they then train. I may be way off but that is how it looks to me.

[LizMoonstar]

6. hopefully we're evolving psychic powers, right?

[Maple]

7. I'd prefer we evolve into more intelligent beings

so that people could function in the 21st century, and get over the behaviour of the past.

Last thing I'd want to do is read minds..., especially when you consider that many people have snake pits for minds.

[LizMoonstar]

10. too true.

though i was hoping more for telekinesis and limited telepathy (along the lines of speaking inside the mind rather than a blanket 'reading), with maybe a refining of our natural 'clairvoyancy*' for good measure.

*stuff we're not aware we know helps us use 'intuition' to predict things

[neweurope]

8. So how is this a surprise? If we didn't evolve we'd still be bacteria

living of sulphur 400 yards under water.

The question is rather: Will we give ourselves the CHANCE to evolve further - or will our stone age heritance destroy us and everything else before?


--------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Maple]

9. They answer that themselves

"A lot of people, including biologists, think we are at the pinnacle of evolution . . . that the human form may be at the best form ever. They think that in the last 200,000 years there has just been a cultural evolution, and we're saying no, there is also genetic evolution."

[neweurope]

11. If biologists - SCIENTISTS - really believe that the "human

form be at the best form ever" they think that man as said in the Bible is the "crown of creation". My goodness, man and ape share a common ancestor! And before that common ancestor there was something else. So who in his/her right mind could believe that evolution stops to evolve only because homo sapiens is fleeting through? If scientists really believe crap like this I guess I should shut up. And the world is flat and I'll be VERY careful to not fall off.

------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[trotsky]

13. Agreed.

The only way one can sort of refer to evolution having "stopped" for humans is that we now possess a lot of traits that at one time may have killed us off but now can be overcome by technology. Bad eyesight, congenital defects, susceptibility to disease, and so forth. These genes are not under nearly as much pressure to disappear as they would have been back when we were hunter/gatherers.

But still we evolve, just not as quickly, and under a different set of selection criteria.

[trotsky]

12. Odd.

I don't recall ever reading anything from a non-creationist claiming "that the human form may be at the best form ever."

Hell, even discounting the limitations of our mind, our body alone contains hundreds of flaws from the appendix to tonsils to joint & back problems from walking upright to etc. etc. etc.

Not to mention I don't think there even is such a thing as the "pinnacle" of evolution. Just an organism that is well-suited for its environment.

[Maple]

15. These guys say it

and presumably they know other scientists who do, since they are all part of the same community.

However we have no way of knowing whether they're religious or not. :D

It was predicted that over time we'd lose our appendix, and little toe, and ear lobes...which I always thought was unlikely seeing as we need at least the toes and lobes.

But all that is physical, not mental.

[phantom power]

14. That would be good news, but it's hard to reconcile with what I see

happening in America. Maybe people in other countries are evolving...

[NNadir]

16. Not "my" brain.

This is a technical point but evolution is NOT a change in an individual that occurs before conception. It represents a genetic change that happens before conception.

These are different things.

I hate to be a nudge, but these kinds of misapprehensions have a way of getting out of control.

[rman]

17. what's with the premis that the brain has a final form?

[htuttle]

18. So apparently, smart men really ARE sexier

Can't think of any other mechanism to account for this.