Posted Oct 18, 2006 at 06:48AM by Ian C. Listed in: Genetics
Ó

morlocks like this... only shorter not so mean and a lot dumberEvolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects that a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass will emerge in around a 100,000 years time. This effectively splits the human race into two sub-species: the stupid, and the not that stupid.

HG Wells is probably laughing in his grave now.

Anyway, Curry goes on to explain that the human race should peak by the year 3000, and then decline due to dependence on technology. The division will happen because people will become more choosy with their sexual partners. The smart will rub uglies with the smart, the dumb will nookie with the dumb.

We'll get a world divided between a genetically superior upper class that's tall, slim, health, attractive, intelligent, and creative; and an underclass of substandard humans who probably spend all day looking for message boards to flame.

Good news for the recent future though (just 1000 years from now not 100,000). Before the divide, curry predicts that most humans will be 6ft and 7ft tall. Life-spans will have extended to 120 years.

Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, will improve. Men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, and deeper voices. Women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-coloured people.

Basically we'll all turn into the celebrities we like to watch. Hands-down, a utopia compared to present day.

Dr. Curry warns though, that in 10,000 years we will pay a genetic price for relying on technology. Spoiled by gadgets designed to meet their every need, humans could come to resemble domesticated animals. Great. Vermin today, house-cats 10,000 years from now.

You know what? We're already into genetic selection... we may get there a bit faster than Curry thinks we will. Eloi and Morlocks here we go.


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3 Comments


Sort by:
   by Sollen (Unregistered) - 2006-10-18
 » Srgth

I was really scared when i read the book when I was twelve.

And it's your fault.

   by Advertising -
   by eruiu (Unregistered) - 2006-10-19
 » that's nice and all.

do you remmeber taht episode of the fairly odd parents where timmy wishes everyone was the same and everyone turned all gray? well, it's true. we cann all look beautiful, excell in math and arts, and most of us will still be a-holes. doesnt matter how we all look. there will still be a social hierarchy where everyone will act the same way we are right now.

   by demz (Unregistered) - 2006-10-24
 » lol

idiot.. humans aren't going to see 3000.

duh.



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