T Nation

Are Humans Going to Speciate?

Off Topic
#1

The Birth of a Slave Race

Lately I’ve been thinking that it would be cool if one of the four species of humanoid that went extinct in the past million years (five if you count those “hobbits”) was still around so we could round them up, start a captive breeding program, and create a slave race suitable for tearing tickets at movie theaters, bussing tables at McDonald’s, tweezing back hair, etc.

(Surely Homo erectus would have been able to follow simple instructions, maybe even move up to dishwasher if he did a good job and didn’t waste too much time knapping parking lot gravel into hand axes.)

Slave Race Not Working Out So Well

But seeing as how those guys have been out of the picture for a few hundred thousand years, here’s plan B: let’s see how long it takes modern humans to speciate into a race of Elois (that would be you, dear reader) and Morlocks (that would be whomever you have a low opinion of).

http://www.inklingmagazine.com/articles/are-humans-going-to-speciate/

#2

Wouldn’t it be simpler to just show porn to a bunch of monkeys? Eventually, they’re bound to give birth to something that’s not a monkey, it used to happen all the time, apparently.
From there it shouldn’t take long to breed something vaguely human, but you know, less pretentious.

#3

Just breed a chimp with a human.

You end up with a sub-human type being that is very strong and good for labor, but not smart enough to do anything else or figure out he/she has been bred for labor.

Just go to the zoo and have sex with all the monkeys. It’ll work eventually and you have a freakish human looking ofsspring that you can breed and presto!

You have a business.

#4

A very interseting read. Based upon my perceptions ofmy students, I think this is actually happening.

#5

It’ll probably be robots instead of people, who will eventually take over and we’ll be the slaves.

#6

[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
It’ll probably be robots instead of people, who will eventually take over and we’ll be the slaves.[/quote]

As much as this sounds like a “nutjob conspiracy”, it could probably happen. All it would take is for AI/machines to be able to advance to the state where they are able to build themselves with ever adapting technology that they explore themselves (artificial evolution).

There is no way biological evolution could keep up. Just look at the improvements in computer processing power over the last two decades…

#7

[quote]Tithonus81 wrote:
Doug Adams wrote:
It’ll probably be robots instead of people, who will eventually take over and we’ll be the slaves.

As much as this sounds like a “nutjob conspiracy”, it could probably happen. All it would take is for AI/machines to be able to advance to the state where they are able to build themselves with ever adapting technology that they explore themselves (artificial evolution).

There is no way biological evolution could keep up. Just look at the improvements in computer processing power over the last two decades…[/quote]

There is a difference between a powerful computer processor that can do a bazillion quadrillion calculations per second and one which has been programed to have logic, understand and manipulate the environment, make its own decisions, learn and remember, and have a basic “consciousness”.

It won’t happen yet. We barely have an understanding of how the human mind (or any other conscious mind) works.

What makes you think anyone will be able to create an artificial one?

#8

nahh… Slavery is B.S. and its extremely counter productive for a capitalists economy.

Lets take the example of the ticket-tearing slave at the theater to explain myself.
-This slave is owned by the Theater company and does all the work.

-BUT as a result of this, this theater company won’t hire the young teenager to do that work.
-So the kid has to stay home and be 100% dependent on what mommy and daddy give him.

Now lets take this same example and lets take it to other industries like the manufacturing industry, building/construction, farming, etc. These industries are MAJOR employers of a nations population.

BUT if u have slaves doing all the work then the majority of the nation’s population will be unemployed, and therefore 100% depended on Government aid.

This is turn is bad for the Government because it now has to spend a lot of $$ in feeding people, and keeping them entertained and comfortable.

If it doesn’t then a armed groups will start poping up in the poorest of areas. UNLESS the government suppress them with heavy handed police/military action, and takes away the freedom the population used to have in order to avoid further challenge to its authority.

Additionally, keeping citizens dependent on government aid creates a culture of laziness on the population. Since citizens don’t have to do any work to earn a living and feed their families.

U see where I am going with this…

The few industries that won’t be completely taken over by slave labor are the Service, Banking, Financing, Real Estate.

At the end of the day u will have a very small segment of the population controlling most of the wealth and slaves, NO MIDDLE CLASS (and this is the key problem), and poor people who are dependent on the gov’t. Plus and authoritative gov’t.

hope this makes cense…

oh and a human + chimp MAY give birth to a humanoid offspring. Or it may die in the womb, or at a young age. Either way, even if it lives it won’t be able to reproduce with another humanoid.

WHY? Mix a horse and donkey (2 different species that are very alike), and u’ll have a mule, but this mule can’t give birth.

#9

[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
Tithonus81 wrote:
Doug Adams wrote:
It’ll probably be robots instead of people, who will eventually take over and we’ll be the slaves.

As much as this sounds like a “nutjob conspiracy”, it could probably happen. All it would take is for AI/machines to be able to advance to the state where they are able to build themselves with ever adapting technology that they explore themselves (artificial evolution).

There is no way biological evolution could keep up. Just look at the improvements in computer processing power over the last two decades…

There is a difference between a powerful computer processor that can do a bazillion quadrillion calculations per second and one which has been programed to have logic, understand and manipulate the environment, make its own decisions, learn and remember, and have a basic “consciousness”.

It won’t happen yet. We barely have an understanding of how the human mind (or any other conscious mind) works.

What makes you think anyone will be able to create an artificial one?[/quote]

There was something on the National Geographic station a few weeks ago about how the world will most likely end.
After hurricanes, tsunamics, and earthquakes, the number one reason the world will end is technology taking over (computers, etc.). Almost like a terminator kind of theory.

#10

[quote]Tithonus81 wrote:
Doug Adams wrote:
It’ll probably be robots instead of people, who will eventually take over and we’ll be the slaves.

As much as this sounds like a “nutjob conspiracy”, it could probably happen. All it would take is for AI/machines to be able to advance to the state where they are able to build themselves with ever adapting technology that they explore themselves (artificial evolution).

There is no way biological evolution could keep up. Just look at the improvements in computer processing power over the last two decades…[/quote]

That event, when machine intelligence surpasses that of man is called “The Singularity” (from the writings of Vernor Vinge.) Interesting stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

#11

[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
Just breed a chimp with a human.

…not smart enough to do anything else…[/quote]

Be careful, your chimp half-breed might become president of the USA.

In fact, it’s already happened.

#12

[quote]ssn0 wrote:
But seeing as how those guys have been out of the picture for a few hundred thousand years, here’s plan B: let’s see how long it takes modern humans to speciate into a race of Elois (that would be you, dear reader) and Morlocks (that would be whomever you have a low opinion of).

http://www.inklingmagazine.com/articles/are-humans-going-to-speciate/
[/quote]

If I remember my H G Wells, it was the Morlocks that were the Master Race, and the Eloi that were food.

I think that that is the perfect example why it is dangerous to assume that you are in any way superior to even the dumbest of store clerks:-)

TQB

#13

[quote]pookie wrote:
brucevangeorge wrote:
Just breed a chimp with a human.

…not smart enough to do anything else…

Be careful, your chimp half-breed might become president of the USA.

In fact, it’s already happened.

[/quote]

Dont you mean president of Iran?

#14

[quote]the juggernaut wrote:
pookie wrote:
brucevangeorge wrote:
Just breed a chimp with a human.

…not smart enough to do anything else…

Be careful, your chimp half-breed might become president of the USA.

In fact, it’s already happened.

Dont you mean president of Iran?
[/quote]

Damn! It’s spreading.

#15

[quote]pookie wrote:
the juggernaut wrote:
pookie wrote:
brucevangeorge wrote:
Just breed a chimp with a human.

…not smart enough to do anything else…

Be careful, your chimp half-breed might become president of the USA.

In fact, it’s already happened.

Dont you mean president of Iran?

Damn! It’s spreading.
[/quote]

Just wait. We’re next.

Liberal Chimp Huraaaah!

#16

We need store clerks. Telephone solicitors on the other hand…

[quote]TQB wrote:
ssn0 wrote:
But seeing as how those guys have been out of the picture for a few hundred thousand years, here’s plan B: let’s see how long it takes modern humans to speciate into a race of Elois (that would be you, dear reader) and Morlocks (that would be whomever you have a low opinion of).

http://www.inklingmagazine.com/articles/are-humans-going-to-speciate/

If I remember my H G Wells, it was the Morlocks that were the Master Race, and the Eloi that were food.

I think that that is the perfect example why it is dangerous to assume that you are in any way superior to even the dumbest of store clerks:-)

TQB[/quote]

#17

[quote]ssn0 wrote:
The Birth of a Slave Race

Lately I’ve been thinking that it would be cool if one of the four species of humanoid that went extinct in the past million years (five if you count those “hobbits”) was still around so we could round them up, start a captive breeding program, and create a slave race suitable for tearing tickets at movie theaters, bussing tables at McDonald’s, tweezing back hair, etc.

(Surely Homo erectus would have been able to follow simple instructions, maybe even move up to dishwasher if he did a good job and didn’t waste too much time knapping parking lot gravel into hand axes.)
[/quote]

I thought these “people” were called college students.

#18

This stuff has all been tried before. Most of it has been unsuccessful, however, I have succeeded in breeding a human with a bull. In fact, I have two minotaurs now in my basement. One is nearly trained enough to begin doing yardwork or light industrial day jobs. The second is relatively young and untrained, but due to improvements in my breeding technique, this one should be much more capable of heavy workloads.

DB

#19

This stuff falls in line with Behavioral Evolution. Google that term and see what comes up. It’s a fascinating field that is on the cusp of becoming mainstream in academia.

#20

[quote]dollarbill44 wrote:
This stuff has all been tried before. Most of it has been unsuccessful, however, I have succeeded in breeding a human with a bull. In fact, I have two minotaurs now in my basement. One is nearly trained enough to begin doing yardwork or light industrial day jobs. The second is relatively young and untrained, but due to improvements in my breeding technique, this one should be much more capable of heavy workloads.

DB[/quote]

You might want to breed that Minotaur with a chimp. Hands are pretty handy in today’s society.

You might even be able to sell them to fastfood restaurants and movie theatres.