were people 700 years ago way smarter than today?

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by MB_Avro_UK

Survival of the fittest no longer applies in the 'developed' world.

Ah! That explains a lot! I've always wondered how I've got this far!

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by MB_Avro_UK

Survival of the fittest no longer applies in the 'developed' world.

How not? do we not eat?

[bongodriver]

Originally Posted by Igo kyu

How not? do we not eat?

We do but it's not such a struggle any more to eat when we have giant supermarkets and welfare states.

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

We do but it's not such a struggle any more to eat when we have giant supermarkets and welfare states.

It is true not so many die as did, but those who do die still don't breed.

[Skoshi Tiger]

I guess it depends on what we mean by "Fittest".

Do we mean physically capable or possessing attributes that advantageous in our environment?
Because in most cases we to adapt our environment to suit our needs we don’t need physical strength very often but we still need the skills, intelligence and other attributes to be successful in our society. Those that possess those skills will be at an advantage.

(If you talk to my wife you'll probally find that being able to spend thirty hours a day playing flight sims and conversing on forums is not high on that list! )

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

I guess it depends on what we mean by "Fittest".

It's pretty clearly a nearly circular definition. The fittest are those who survive and breed.

[major_setback]

Dear, dear, oh dear.

Re: 'Survival of the fittest'
It is one of the most misunderstood and wrongly used quotes in the world and it wasn't even coined by the man it is mostly attributed to.

From Wiki:
'Darwin first used Spencer's new phrase "survival of the fittest" as a synonym for natural selection in the fifth edition of On the Origin of Species, published in 1869. Darwin meant it as a metaphor for "better adapted for immediate, local environment", not the common inference of "in the best physical shape"'



Darmwin meant that those individuals (animal/human) best adapted to their environment would be those most likely to reach breeding age and therefore be able to pass on their genes to the next generation.

fittest = best fitted (not the most physically fit).

Being the strongest and fittest individual will not help you if you are not adapted to survive in a changed environment.

I think humans have adapted well and will continue to do so, so I don't at all agree that the phrase has no meaning today. And it even applies at an individual level. If you can't adapt you won't make it (it applies not only to physical adaptation but to behaviour/strategy too).

[raaaid]

if i wanted to breed black sheep i think i could do it in 5 generations

for example honesty nowadays makes you unfit for the enviroment

i admit myself totally unfit for this enviroment

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gn...-genghis-khan/

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by raaaid

if i wanted to breed black sheep i think i could do it in 5 generations

If you start out with a mob of Black Sheep you can do it in one generation.

[tk471138]

Originally Posted by raaaid

if i wanted to breed black sheep i think i could do it in 5 generations

for example honesty nowadays makes you unfit for the enviroment

i admit myself totally unfit for this enviroment

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gn...-genghis-khan/

dishonestly makes the environment unfit...thats all...