wolfe’s Growling Musings

I’ve talked about evolution news and criticized intelligent design on scientific grounds. (I happen to believe in it, but I agree it’s not very good science). Now here’s something really nutty from someone who claims to be an “evolutionary theorist” and works for the London School of Economics. Granted, Mick Jagger’s, Cherie Blair’s and James Hacker’s alma mater may not be the sine qua non of intellectualism, but can it really be that bad?

Apparently yes.

Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years’ time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.

Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.

Go gay (for male readers), and date the ‘genitals removed’ 7′ tall guy that looks like Adolf Hitler with two mouths, or the troglodyte possibly female creature? Decisions, decisions for our descendants in 100,000 years, according to this chap from the LSE. Image credit:BBC News.

The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology.

People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.

The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the “underclass” humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.

Race ‘ironed out’

But in the nearer future, humans will evolve in 1,000 years into giants between 6ft and 7ft tall, he predicts, while life-spans will have extended to 120 years, Dr Curry claims.

Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, will improve, he says, while men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises.

Women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features, he adds. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-coloured people.

The BBC thinks this is worth reporting on?

Peak in the year 3000? (For, presumably, evolutionary reasons)?

Look, I’m all for pert breasts, glossy hair and if I get upgraded to be a big swinging dick, great, but, given that every feature ascribed to women (and men) can be replicated via drugs/surgery/cosmetics today, it seems somewhat unlikely that we’ll have a big evolutionary push in this direction.

And in a mere 1000 years technology will be our downfall? This is an awfully weak argument.

“Science” like this, is roughly as valid as a faculty member of the LSE saying “Jesus will return again, as prophesized, by the year 3000″. Yeah, it could happen. And it is at least a falsifiable prediction, if we wait long enough. But it’s basically made up out of whole cloth.

NB- They do call him “Dr Curry” and, unless the English have changed radically over the last 10 years, that’s a hat tip that he’s not yet a recognized professor, academic or scholar. Or sloppy journalism, which, given the rest of the article, may well be the case. The BBC is generally a reliably left-wing outfit though, with passable science journalism.

Hat tip: Pharyngula, self described as a blog on “Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations [I shan't go there] from a godless liberal”, namely associate professor at University of Minnesota, Morris. [For non-US readers, U of M (twin cities) is generally reasonably well regarded as a general scientific/engineering university. I've little idea how their Morris campus -- 250 km from the twin cities -- stacks up in biology or anything, but it certainly can't be terrible... unlike the LSE!].

I do suspect reception of any ID/conservative people there would be quite hostile, judging by how he’s been quoted in the media.

In any event, there’s my boring science post of the day. Next up, if I’ve time… Friday boobies!

-wolfe