Will the process of natural selection always be there?
Natural selection will not remove ignorance from future generations — Richard Dawkins
Will humans, as a species, ever be exempt from the process of natural selection? Or will natural selection persist indefinitely, with only the resources involved in the process changing over time? I will lean in favor of the latter scenario.
Natural selection is an unyielding, harsh, and merciless process. If you are not well-adapted to your environment, or if another individual is better suited than you, your distant descendants will not exist to pay respects at your grave.
The fundamental concept of natural selection is simple — it’s a process where organisms with traits that assist in acquiring resources (such as food, light, water, shelter, etc.) have an increased likelihood of survival and reproduction. As a result, these organisms often produce more offspring than their peers. Over time, this results in an increase in the prevalence of these advantageous traits within the population. These traits can be physical or psychological.
Natural selection is a competition for limited resources, with the victors being those who possess traits that give them an edge in securing a larger share of these resources. It’s not a mutually beneficial scenario. Instead, it’s a game where the winners, often at the detriment of their competitors, reap all the rewards.
The impact of physical traits on survival and reproduction is straightforward to understand. If an individual within a species is stronger, faster, has a longer neck, or can breathe both on land and in water, they are likely to secure a larger portion of resources. This enhances their chances of survival and reproduction. Over time, as these individuals produce more offspring, the advantageous trait become more prevalent within the population. This could potentially lead to the emergence of a new species.
Much like physical traits, psychological traits can also enhance an individual’s chances of survival and reproduction. These traits can include behaviors, attitudes, and cognitive abilities that may provide an advantage in securing resources or attracting mates. Over time, the advantageous psychological traits can become more prevalent within a population, much like physical traits. This is a fascinating aspect of natural selection.
Kinship and the psychological tendency to prioritize the interests of one’s nearest relatives serve as good examples. At the genetic level, the closer our relationship with another individual, greater is the shared gene pool. The primary goal of reproduction is the propagation of genes. Therefore, a psychological trait that favors kinship is likely to be more successful in propagating a gene pool, and over time, it has become a prevalent psychological trait.
Natural selection has been a driving force since the advent of self-replicating molecules and biological entities vying for limited resources in their environment. However, over the past 10,000 years, humans have, in many respects, managed to circumvent certain aspects of natural selection through the aid of technological advancements. This is particularly true for physical traits, where technology has essentially leveled the playing field. For instance, physical traits that were once advantageous, such as the ability to run faster, can now be compensated for by vehicles. If we continue on this trajectory, it raises the question: could we someday transcend the process of natural selection?
However, it’s also plausible that the process of natural selection will persist indefinitely. With survival and reproduction as the ultimate goals, we may never truly escape its influence. But why is this the case? The reason is…
…due to the ongoing struggle against the forces of entropy, we will always require some form of energy (i.e., resources) to maintain our biological structures. The fundamental fact is that living organisms require energy. As a result, the competition for finite resources among biological entities will persist indefinitely. This competition ensures the continued relevance of natural selection. There will always be certain traits — be they physical, psychological, or otherwise — that will provide an individual with a competitive edge, and will eventually become dominant within the population. What may evolve over time, however, is the nature of the resources that are being competed for.
For this process to function, there will always be certain traits — be they physical, psychological, or otherwise — that provide an individual with a competitive edge, and these traits may eventually become dominant within the population. What may evolve over time, however, is the nature of the resources that are being competed for.
The nature of competition has already shifted away from securing basic resources like food. Currently, the resources we compete for are predominantly monetary, which are subsequently used to procure necessities essential for survival. Any remaining money, after satisfying our basic needs, is frequently used to achieve status. This pursuit for status may subconsciously be to serve to attract mates for reproduction.
Given the finite nature of resources, competition for them is inevitable. The type of resources being competed for may evolve over time. Consequently, in some form or another, the process of natural selection will continue.
Civilizations possessing advantageous physical, psychological, and now, technological traits, will persist in their efforts to emerge victorious. In the future, the process of natural selection may function within the context of competition among civilizations, or galactic alliances, striving to perpetuate and expand their horizons, and to venture into unexplored territories.
The resource could potentially evolve once more, perhaps taking the form of the spice Melange found on the planet Arrakis.
Ciao.
