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Evolving Ourselves: How Unnatural Selection and Nonrandom Mutation are Changing Life on Earth
“We are the primary drivers of change. We will directly and indirectly determine what lives, what dies, where, and when. We are in a different phase of evolution; the future of life is now in our hands.” Why are rates of conditions like autism, asthma, obesity, and allergies exploding at an unprecedented pace? Why are humans living longer, getting smarter, and having far fewer kids? How might your lifestyle affect your unborn children and grandchildren? How will gene-editing technologies like CRISPR steer the course of human evolution? If Darwin were alive today, how would he explain this new world? Could our progeny eventually become a different species—or several? In Evolving Ourselves , futurist Juan Enriquez and scientist Steve Gullans conduct a sweeping tour of how humans are changing the course of evolution—sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. For
• Globally, rates of obesity in humans nearly doubled between 1980 and 2014. What’s more, there’s evidence that other species, from pasture-fed horses to lab animals to house cats, are also getting fatter.
• As reported by U.S. government agencies, the rate of autism rose by 131 percent from 2001 to 2010, an increase that cannot be attributed simply to increases in diagnosis rates.
• Three hundred years ago, almost no one with a serious nut allergy lived long enough to reproduce. Today, despite an environment in which food allergies have increased by 50 percent in just over a decade, 17 million Americans who suffer from food allergies survive, thrive, and pass their genes and behaviors on to the next generation.
• In the pre-Twinkie era, early humans had quite healthy mouths. As we began cooking, bathing, and using antibiotics, the bacteria in our bodies changed dramatically and became far less diverse. Today the consequences are evident not only in our teeth but throughout our bodies and minds.
Though these harbingers of change are deeply unsettling, the authors argue that we are also in an epoch of tremendous opportunity. New advances in biotechnology help us mitigate the cruel forces of natural selection, from saving prematurely born babies to gene therapies for sickle cell anemia and other conditions. As technology like CRISPR enables us to take control of our genes, we will be able to alter our own species and many others—a good thing, given that our eventual survival will require space travel and colonization, enabled by a fundamental redesign of our bodies. Future humans could become great caretakers of the planet, as well as a more diverse, more resilient, gentler, and more intelligent species—but only if we make the right choices now. Intelligent, provocative, and optimistic, Evolving Ourselves is the ultimate guide to the next phase of life on Earth.
• Globally, rates of obesity in humans nearly doubled between 1980 and 2014. What’s more, there’s evidence that other species, from pasture-fed horses to lab animals to house cats, are also getting fatter.
• As reported by U.S. government agencies, the rate of autism rose by 131 percent from 2001 to 2010, an increase that cannot be attributed simply to increases in diagnosis rates.
• Three hundred years ago, almost no one with a serious nut allergy lived long enough to reproduce. Today, despite an environment in which food allergies have increased by 50 percent in just over a decade, 17 million Americans who suffer from food allergies survive, thrive, and pass their genes and behaviors on to the next generation.
• In the pre-Twinkie era, early humans had quite healthy mouths. As we began cooking, bathing, and using antibiotics, the bacteria in our bodies changed dramatically and became far less diverse. Today the consequences are evident not only in our teeth but throughout our bodies and minds.
Though these harbingers of change are deeply unsettling, the authors argue that we are also in an epoch of tremendous opportunity. New advances in biotechnology help us mitigate the cruel forces of natural selection, from saving prematurely born babies to gene therapies for sickle cell anemia and other conditions. As technology like CRISPR enables us to take control of our genes, we will be able to alter our own species and many others—a good thing, given that our eventual survival will require space travel and colonization, enabled by a fundamental redesign of our bodies. Future humans could become great caretakers of the planet, as well as a more diverse, more resilient, gentler, and more intelligent species—but only if we make the right choices now. Intelligent, provocative, and optimistic, Evolving Ourselves is the ultimate guide to the next phase of life on Earth.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
106 people are currently reading
1919 people want to read
About the author
Juan Enríquez
11 books64 followersJuan Enríquez Cabot is a Mexican-American academic, businessman, speaker and best selling author.
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October 10, 2015
This is possibly the single worst pop science book ever written. It is in fact one of the worst books I've ever read, and I'm including self-published tripe with multiple spelling errors. It is the book equivalent of those Facebook science memes. You know the ones, spurious "science facts" propagated by people who supposedly love science but have absolutely no idea what it is. Everything about this book is bad. From the writing, which is peppered with liberal doses of the most cringe-worthy jokes imaginable, to the research, which was shoddily done (and based on the bibliography at the end, mostly consists of magazine articles) to the extent that you can click on almost any source cited and see quite clearly where the authors misquoted or at best misunderstood research*. Even the punctuation is aggravating - every single chapter ends with ellipses. I am strongly tempted to steal this book from the library and burn it so that no one else will have to suffer through it.
*To give one example of this, the authors claim that doctors in general refuse to get chemotherapy. This is categorically not true. What is true is that doctors in general refuse to get chemotherapy when they are terminally ill. That is a huge difference in meaning. By saying that doctors in general avoid chemotherapy when they have cancer, it implies that doctors think chemotherapy is useless.
*To give one example of this, the authors claim that doctors in general refuse to get chemotherapy. This is categorically not true. What is true is that doctors in general refuse to get chemotherapy when they are terminally ill. That is a huge difference in meaning. By saying that doctors in general avoid chemotherapy when they have cancer, it implies that doctors think chemotherapy is useless.
August 1, 2015
Evolving Ourselves:
I have to say. I really liked this book. It's smart and visionary and irreverent and just plain fun. A great summer read.
BTW: It's featured on the edge.org summer reading 2015 list. If you're not familiar with edge.org, do yourself a favor and go check it out.
It's like new wave for old smart people :-)
Evolving Ourselves is authors Juan Enriquez (of TED talk fame) and Steve Gullans (also a TED talk guy) book length argument that the Neo Darwinian model of evolution via natural selection no longer applies to humans.
Not by a long shot.
In Evolving Ourselves they argue that the Neo Darwinian model needs a special modification if it's going to include us.
They assert that humans are only marginally effected by (a) natural selection and (b) random mutation due to our practices of (c) unnatural selection and (d) nonrandom mutation.
UNNATURAL SELECTION
Let me see if I can start from the beginning.
Although it's at times hard to believe. People are like the animal kingdoms world champions of cooperation.
Birds fly, whales are huge, giraffes have longnecks and people cooperate.
People think that what makes us bad ass is that were smart. Nope. We're smart so that we can cooperate.
We're actually only smart because we cooperate. The only reason people can become super specialized in their field of knowledge and create cool technology and shit is because we can get together and work on stuff.
Allow me to explain.
Reciprocal Altruism:
Imagine two cave man dudes, (1) Grog and (2) Unk.
Both guys make (less than spectacular) axes.
• Grog makes great axe heads ( 4 out of 5 stars) but crappy axe handles (2 out of 5 stars = 6 out of 10 stars total)
• Unk makes great axe handles ( 4 out of 5 stars) but crappy axe heads (2 out of 5 stars = 6 out of 10 stars total)
It takes both Grog and Unk 2 hours to make 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe.
For both Grog and Unk:
2 hours = 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe.
What happens if:
• Grog spends 2 hours making 2 great (4 out of 5 star) axe heads
• Unk spends 2 hours making 2 great (4 out of 5 star) axe handles
• Grog and Unk spend .5 hours trading 1 great (4 out of 5 star) axe head, for 1 great (4 out of 5 star) axe handle
• Grog and Unk spend another .5 hours assembling their great (8 out of 10 star) axes
Now, for both Grog and Unk:
3 hours = 1 great (8 out of 10 star) axe.
With a little extra effort and cooperation, they each get 1 great axe.
That is a great deal right there, but it gets better.
What happens if:
• Grog and Unk become expert specialist in their respective fields
• both Grog and Unk focus and innovate, and now both of them can produce awesome (5 out of 5 star) products, in less time (.5 hours)
Now .5 hours = 1 awesome ( 5 out of 5 star) axe head/handle
• further more, they streamline their trading and assembly processes to .25 hours to trade and .25 hours to assemble
Now .5 hours total market and assembly time.
The whole process took .5 hours production of awesome (5 out of 5 star) axe head/handle, + .5 hours market and assembly time, to make 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each.
Or, to put it more simply:
For both Grog and Unk:
• 1 hour (start to finish) = 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each.
We started with:
• 2 hours = 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe each
With a little cooperation and organization, we ended up with
• 1 hour = 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each
This is a huge Win Win for both Grog and Unk.
This is known as a nonzero sum transaction.
Nonzero means that both participants get more out of the cooperative transaction than if they had each gone it alone.
Nonzero transactions a.k.a. Reciprocal Altruism is what allowed humans to dominate the planet (for better or for worse).
Other species demonstrate Reciprocal Altruism, but none to the extent that people do. As previously mentioned, humans are the planets grand champions of cooperation.
It took a team of millions of people to create the iPhone I'm writing this review on, and the Internet infrastructure I'm delivering this review over, and the web sight I'm delivering it to.
And that just this one little blip of human production.
How (exactly) do we out cooperate every other species?
There are lots of theories about why humans are so dang good at creating and maintaining systems of Nonzero transactions. But the single most salient factor that simply jumps off the page is language.
Language (e.g. English and Mathematics) engenders constructs such as; ideologies, religions, rules, codes of conduct, laws etc.
These constructs (and others like them) are the foundation of culture and technology.
According to Enriquez and Gullans
Once people stepped into the realm of culture and technology, we stepped out of the iron grip of natural selection on to the turbocharged escalator to obesity.
Unnatural selection ladies and gents.
Of course the next chapter of Grog and Unk's story involves creating surplus, hiring others to do the labor, domesticating plants and animals, and you know the rest of the story. It ends on your sofa.
Domestication:
Dmitri Konstantinovich Belyaev was a Russian geneticist who conducted a remarkable experiment to see if it was possible to turn wild Siberian foxes into cute, cuddly domesticated pets.
The experiment has been described by the New York Times as "arguably the most extraordinary breeding experiment ever conducted."
Just to qualify. It was done in the 1950's, so it's the most remarkable breeding experiment ever conducted before the invention of the internet. The Internet is actually one big breeding experiment, and it's actually more remarkable than this one. But this one is still really good. It goes like this.
Beginning in the 1950s, in order to uncover the genetic basis of the distinctive behavioral and physiological attributes of domesticated animals, Belyaev and his team spent decades selectively breeding the wild silver fox for friendliness.
The way they did it was they only bread those individuals in each generation that showed the least fear of humans.
After several generations of controlled breeding, the silver foxes no longer showed any fear of humans and often wagged their tails and licked their human caretakers to show affection.
But it gets better. Not only did their behavior change. Their outward appearance changed too. They started displaying the typical features lap dogs.
They began to display spotted coats, floppy ears, curled tails, larger heads, as well as other physical attributes commonly found in domesticated animals, thus confirming Belyaev’s hypothesis that both the behavioral and physical traits of domesticated animals could be traced to "a collection of genes that conferred a propensity to tameness".
Neoteny:
Refers to the retention, by adults in a species, of traits previously seen only in juveniles.
In neoteny, the physiological (or somatic) development of an animal or organism is slowed or delayed.
Ultimately this process results in the retention, in the adults of a species, of juvenile physical characteristics well into maturity.
One way of thinking about domestication, is that the features of juveniles of the species are conserved into adulthood.
In other words, our cute little lap dogs are like wolves who have been selectively bread to be perma-puppies.
Some evolutionary developmental (evodevo) theorists posit that humans are essentially neotenos chimpanzees.
In a sense, we are domesticated chimps.
But it gets even better than that.
According to the authors, we are becoming even more neotenos as we become even more domesticated.
Think about it.
What happens to our cultures most aggressive men. The ones who don't become CEO's or cage fighters pretty much end up in prison.
The men who are valued as workers and fathers in our culture are increasingly the "tame as fuck" gortex vagina Seattle dads. They even look (and frequently act) like big babies.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
So anyway. Enriquez and Gullans claim were domesticating ourselves.
Whereas Darwin pretty much shook western civilization down to its foundation and essentially revolutionized the way we se ourselves and the world we live in by asserting that we humans are have descended from apes.
Enriquez and Gullans make the rather plainly incontrovertible claim that were all becoming a bunch of giant toddlers.
I can't exactly see another Inherit The Wind type trial emerging from what ever debate happens over this earth shatteringly obvious position.
NONRANDOM MUTATION
Hologenome:
Enriquez and Gullans Posit that humans have least four parallel evolving genomes—
1: Core DNA
2: Epigenome
3: Microbiome
4: Virome
More on all of these in mere moments.
But suffice it to say, every human, plant and animal possesses these four genomes, which considered as a whole, are referred to as the “hologenome.”
The sub-genomes (1-4) interact with one another, evolve at very different rates, and define your basic biology and attributes throughout life.
Eventually they come together and encode the heritable traits and behaviors that you pass on to your descendants and future generations.
1: Core DNA
According to The authors
Humankind’s core DNA genome has been essentially stable for tens of thousands of years.
And that's a good thing right?
Each generation historically experiences tiny, random mutations; 50 to 100 of the 6.4 billion letters that make up your DNA are different, at birth, from those of your parents.
Apparently it takes a really long time for DNA to mutate.
It's hella stable.
Again, that's a really good thing.
This is particularly true post Grog and Unk, as societies made it illegal for you (and anyone else for that matter, we're not just picking on you) to impregnate your mom and sister.
Another good (nay great) thing.
This lead a lot of biologists to assume people stopped evolving.
But there is a whole lot of adaptation going on, just below the core genome.
2: Epigenome
Epigenetics refers to the domain of cellular and physiological trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off.
This means that some of our genetic expression is influenced by mom and dads environment, and our environment.
An epigenome consists of a record of the chemical changes to the DNA and histone proteins of an organism; these changes can be passed down to an organism's offspring.
So not all phenotypic changes are caused by changes in the DNA sequence.
Unlike the underlying genome which is largely static within an individual, the epigenome can be dynamically altered by environmental conditions.
Human diversity and evolution is highly concentrated in our epigenetic switches; how genes are turned on or off, expressed with greater potency or silenced.
The authors assert that human culture and technology are driving the fuck out of evolution on the epigenetic level.
So what happens to humans after 10 generations of sofa surfing and concurrent surfing of the world's most remarkable breeding experiment?
I guess we're finding out.
3: Microbiome
Refers to the squadrillians (a large number) of bacteria that live in and on us, without whom we would simply die.
Within the microbiome, evolution occurs quickly; some bacteria can go through 2,600 generations in just over a month.
So what happens when people seriously alter (i.e. totally fuckin upend) the microbiome?
"As humans declare broad warfare on microbes, as they radically alter ecosystems, adding toxins, antiseptic soaps, mouthwashes, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, global travel, urban lifestyles, changing diets, and leave rural existence behind, they guide/influence rapid microbial evolution".
Toss antibiotics into the mix and this is yet another way humans are driving the fuck out of our own evolution.
"So while you inherited your intial microbiome from Mom, they aren’t your great-grandma’s microbes anymore".
That's right. The re-engineering of the microbiome may be one of the major reasons for the obesity epidemic. Apparently livestock are given antibiotics so they will gain weight. I guess reducing your guts microbiodiversity equates to increasing the size of your ass.
Anyway, it's such a common practice that the antibiotics are leaching into everything, including farm fresh produce via manure fertilizers.
Dude. You mean those big salad's and green juices are making us fat too. Oh fuck, were fucked!
4: Virome
Finally, our fourth genome, the virome (the viruses we depend on for dear life), mutates and evolves at a blazingly rapid rate.
"We have only begun to catalog the actual specific actors with the virome, so it is still early days with regard to understanding exactly how it affects us, from day to day or from generation to generation. One thing is certain: With our domesticated lifestyles, global imprint, and unnatural activities, the “typical” virome today must be very different from the one Darwin indirectly observed. And we are now also beginning to tame and deploy viruses, learning to rapidly edit them for our own purposes".
So why are viruses so important to our genetic expression?
"Sometimes viral DNA simply embeds itself in your own human DNA, where it can lie dormant or sometimes come back to life when you least want it, as occurs with recurring cold sores, shingles from a long-past chicken pox, and even some cancers—particularly when our immune systems become weak. On some occasions, viral code can end up in the DNA in your sperm and eggs, which then gets passed on to future generations".
Okay, I'm beginning to get it. When we create antiviral shit, we radically nuke the virome. This could lead to a crazy new viromic landscape. God knows what could emerge from the wasteland.
I guess that's yet another way we are pushing the envelope with unnatural selection.
Let's just hope the envelope comes back with a paycheck in it instead of a maxed out credit card bill.
Great book.
4 stars!!!!
I have to say. I really liked this book. It's smart and visionary and irreverent and just plain fun. A great summer read.
BTW: It's featured on the edge.org summer reading 2015 list. If you're not familiar with edge.org, do yourself a favor and go check it out.
It's like new wave for old smart people :-)
Evolving Ourselves is authors Juan Enriquez (of TED talk fame) and Steve Gullans (also a TED talk guy) book length argument that the Neo Darwinian model of evolution via natural selection no longer applies to humans.
Not by a long shot.
In Evolving Ourselves they argue that the Neo Darwinian model needs a special modification if it's going to include us.
They assert that humans are only marginally effected by (a) natural selection and (b) random mutation due to our practices of (c) unnatural selection and (d) nonrandom mutation.
UNNATURAL SELECTION
Let me see if I can start from the beginning.
Although it's at times hard to believe. People are like the animal kingdoms world champions of cooperation.
Birds fly, whales are huge, giraffes have longnecks and people cooperate.
People think that what makes us bad ass is that were smart. Nope. We're smart so that we can cooperate.
We're actually only smart because we cooperate. The only reason people can become super specialized in their field of knowledge and create cool technology and shit is because we can get together and work on stuff.
Allow me to explain.
Reciprocal Altruism:
Imagine two cave man dudes, (1) Grog and (2) Unk.
Both guys make (less than spectacular) axes.
• Grog makes great axe heads ( 4 out of 5 stars) but crappy axe handles (2 out of 5 stars = 6 out of 10 stars total)
• Unk makes great axe handles ( 4 out of 5 stars) but crappy axe heads (2 out of 5 stars = 6 out of 10 stars total)
It takes both Grog and Unk 2 hours to make 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe.
For both Grog and Unk:
2 hours = 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe.
What happens if:
• Grog spends 2 hours making 2 great (4 out of 5 star) axe heads
• Unk spends 2 hours making 2 great (4 out of 5 star) axe handles
• Grog and Unk spend .5 hours trading 1 great (4 out of 5 star) axe head, for 1 great (4 out of 5 star) axe handle
• Grog and Unk spend another .5 hours assembling their great (8 out of 10 star) axes
Now, for both Grog and Unk:
3 hours = 1 great (8 out of 10 star) axe.
With a little extra effort and cooperation, they each get 1 great axe.
That is a great deal right there, but it gets better.
What happens if:
• Grog and Unk become expert specialist in their respective fields
• both Grog and Unk focus and innovate, and now both of them can produce awesome (5 out of 5 star) products, in less time (.5 hours)
Now .5 hours = 1 awesome ( 5 out of 5 star) axe head/handle
• further more, they streamline their trading and assembly processes to .25 hours to trade and .25 hours to assemble
Now .5 hours total market and assembly time.
The whole process took .5 hours production of awesome (5 out of 5 star) axe head/handle, + .5 hours market and assembly time, to make 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each.
Or, to put it more simply:
For both Grog and Unk:
• 1 hour (start to finish) = 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each.
We started with:
• 2 hours = 1 mediocre (6 out of 10 stars) axe each
With a little cooperation and organization, we ended up with
• 1 hour = 1 awesome (10 out of 10 star) axe each
This is a huge Win Win for both Grog and Unk.
This is known as a nonzero sum transaction.
Nonzero means that both participants get more out of the cooperative transaction than if they had each gone it alone.
Nonzero transactions a.k.a. Reciprocal Altruism is what allowed humans to dominate the planet (for better or for worse).
Other species demonstrate Reciprocal Altruism, but none to the extent that people do. As previously mentioned, humans are the planets grand champions of cooperation.
It took a team of millions of people to create the iPhone I'm writing this review on, and the Internet infrastructure I'm delivering this review over, and the web sight I'm delivering it to.
And that just this one little blip of human production.
How (exactly) do we out cooperate every other species?
There are lots of theories about why humans are so dang good at creating and maintaining systems of Nonzero transactions. But the single most salient factor that simply jumps off the page is language.
Language (e.g. English and Mathematics) engenders constructs such as; ideologies, religions, rules, codes of conduct, laws etc.
These constructs (and others like them) are the foundation of culture and technology.
According to Enriquez and Gullans
Once people stepped into the realm of culture and technology, we stepped out of the iron grip of natural selection on to the turbocharged escalator to obesity.
Unnatural selection ladies and gents.
Of course the next chapter of Grog and Unk's story involves creating surplus, hiring others to do the labor, domesticating plants and animals, and you know the rest of the story. It ends on your sofa.
Domestication:
Dmitri Konstantinovich Belyaev was a Russian geneticist who conducted a remarkable experiment to see if it was possible to turn wild Siberian foxes into cute, cuddly domesticated pets.
The experiment has been described by the New York Times as "arguably the most extraordinary breeding experiment ever conducted."
Just to qualify. It was done in the 1950's, so it's the most remarkable breeding experiment ever conducted before the invention of the internet. The Internet is actually one big breeding experiment, and it's actually more remarkable than this one. But this one is still really good. It goes like this.
Beginning in the 1950s, in order to uncover the genetic basis of the distinctive behavioral and physiological attributes of domesticated animals, Belyaev and his team spent decades selectively breeding the wild silver fox for friendliness.
The way they did it was they only bread those individuals in each generation that showed the least fear of humans.
After several generations of controlled breeding, the silver foxes no longer showed any fear of humans and often wagged their tails and licked their human caretakers to show affection.
But it gets better. Not only did their behavior change. Their outward appearance changed too. They started displaying the typical features lap dogs.
They began to display spotted coats, floppy ears, curled tails, larger heads, as well as other physical attributes commonly found in domesticated animals, thus confirming Belyaev’s hypothesis that both the behavioral and physical traits of domesticated animals could be traced to "a collection of genes that conferred a propensity to tameness".
Neoteny:
Refers to the retention, by adults in a species, of traits previously seen only in juveniles.
In neoteny, the physiological (or somatic) development of an animal or organism is slowed or delayed.
Ultimately this process results in the retention, in the adults of a species, of juvenile physical characteristics well into maturity.
One way of thinking about domestication, is that the features of juveniles of the species are conserved into adulthood.
In other words, our cute little lap dogs are like wolves who have been selectively bread to be perma-puppies.
Some evolutionary developmental (evodevo) theorists posit that humans are essentially neotenos chimpanzees.
In a sense, we are domesticated chimps.
But it gets even better than that.
According to the authors, we are becoming even more neotenos as we become even more domesticated.
Think about it.
What happens to our cultures most aggressive men. The ones who don't become CEO's or cage fighters pretty much end up in prison.
The men who are valued as workers and fathers in our culture are increasingly the "tame as fuck" gortex vagina Seattle dads. They even look (and frequently act) like big babies.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
So anyway. Enriquez and Gullans claim were domesticating ourselves.
Whereas Darwin pretty much shook western civilization down to its foundation and essentially revolutionized the way we se ourselves and the world we live in by asserting that we humans are have descended from apes.
Enriquez and Gullans make the rather plainly incontrovertible claim that were all becoming a bunch of giant toddlers.
I can't exactly see another Inherit The Wind type trial emerging from what ever debate happens over this earth shatteringly obvious position.
NONRANDOM MUTATION
Hologenome:
Enriquez and Gullans Posit that humans have least four parallel evolving genomes—
1: Core DNA
2: Epigenome
3: Microbiome
4: Virome
More on all of these in mere moments.
But suffice it to say, every human, plant and animal possesses these four genomes, which considered as a whole, are referred to as the “hologenome.”
The sub-genomes (1-4) interact with one another, evolve at very different rates, and define your basic biology and attributes throughout life.
Eventually they come together and encode the heritable traits and behaviors that you pass on to your descendants and future generations.
1: Core DNA
According to The authors
Humankind’s core DNA genome has been essentially stable for tens of thousands of years.
And that's a good thing right?
Each generation historically experiences tiny, random mutations; 50 to 100 of the 6.4 billion letters that make up your DNA are different, at birth, from those of your parents.
Apparently it takes a really long time for DNA to mutate.
It's hella stable.
Again, that's a really good thing.
This is particularly true post Grog and Unk, as societies made it illegal for you (and anyone else for that matter, we're not just picking on you) to impregnate your mom and sister.
Another good (nay great) thing.
This lead a lot of biologists to assume people stopped evolving.
But there is a whole lot of adaptation going on, just below the core genome.
2: Epigenome
Epigenetics refers to the domain of cellular and physiological trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off.
This means that some of our genetic expression is influenced by mom and dads environment, and our environment.
An epigenome consists of a record of the chemical changes to the DNA and histone proteins of an organism; these changes can be passed down to an organism's offspring.
So not all phenotypic changes are caused by changes in the DNA sequence.
Unlike the underlying genome which is largely static within an individual, the epigenome can be dynamically altered by environmental conditions.
Human diversity and evolution is highly concentrated in our epigenetic switches; how genes are turned on or off, expressed with greater potency or silenced.
The authors assert that human culture and technology are driving the fuck out of evolution on the epigenetic level.
So what happens to humans after 10 generations of sofa surfing and concurrent surfing of the world's most remarkable breeding experiment?
I guess we're finding out.
3: Microbiome
Refers to the squadrillians (a large number) of bacteria that live in and on us, without whom we would simply die.
Within the microbiome, evolution occurs quickly; some bacteria can go through 2,600 generations in just over a month.
So what happens when people seriously alter (i.e. totally fuckin upend) the microbiome?
"As humans declare broad warfare on microbes, as they radically alter ecosystems, adding toxins, antiseptic soaps, mouthwashes, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, global travel, urban lifestyles, changing diets, and leave rural existence behind, they guide/influence rapid microbial evolution".
Toss antibiotics into the mix and this is yet another way humans are driving the fuck out of our own evolution.
"So while you inherited your intial microbiome from Mom, they aren’t your great-grandma’s microbes anymore".
That's right. The re-engineering of the microbiome may be one of the major reasons for the obesity epidemic. Apparently livestock are given antibiotics so they will gain weight. I guess reducing your guts microbiodiversity equates to increasing the size of your ass.
Anyway, it's such a common practice that the antibiotics are leaching into everything, including farm fresh produce via manure fertilizers.
Dude. You mean those big salad's and green juices are making us fat too. Oh fuck, were fucked!
4: Virome
Finally, our fourth genome, the virome (the viruses we depend on for dear life), mutates and evolves at a blazingly rapid rate.
"We have only begun to catalog the actual specific actors with the virome, so it is still early days with regard to understanding exactly how it affects us, from day to day or from generation to generation. One thing is certain: With our domesticated lifestyles, global imprint, and unnatural activities, the “typical” virome today must be very different from the one Darwin indirectly observed. And we are now also beginning to tame and deploy viruses, learning to rapidly edit them for our own purposes".
So why are viruses so important to our genetic expression?
"Sometimes viral DNA simply embeds itself in your own human DNA, where it can lie dormant or sometimes come back to life when you least want it, as occurs with recurring cold sores, shingles from a long-past chicken pox, and even some cancers—particularly when our immune systems become weak. On some occasions, viral code can end up in the DNA in your sperm and eggs, which then gets passed on to future generations".
Okay, I'm beginning to get it. When we create antiviral shit, we radically nuke the virome. This could lead to a crazy new viromic landscape. God knows what could emerge from the wasteland.
I guess that's yet another way we are pushing the envelope with unnatural selection.
Let's just hope the envelope comes back with a paycheck in it instead of a maxed out credit card bill.
Great book.
4 stars!!!!
January 7, 2021
I am still in between speechless and a stunning achievement...
July 18, 2015
Is humanity now driving the evolutionary bus? Are we bypassing the slow, scenic route and speeding it down the expressway? Do we know where we're going? (Have I just overextended a metaphor?)
Seldom do I find a nonfiction book that I can't put down. This is one. It is a fascinating account of the complex interplay of things beyond genes that affect how species evolve. I highly recommend it.
Not that I don't have a gripe. It's probably petty, but "unnatural selection"? Really? Unnatural? It's not that the term is inaccurate...exactly. What the authors are emphasizing is that human actions rather than the unguided hand of natural selection is now directing how evolution proceeds. Got that, but the word "unnatural" has negative connotations, and the thrust of the book is that humanity guiding its own continued evolution isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it may be essential to our survival. Also, the word implies that what humans do, and perhaps even humans themselves, aren't natural. But it is and we are. We evolved through natural selection just like everything else, and human constructions are no less natural than termite mounds or beaver dams. All creatures affect their environment. We're just a bit more...blatant about it. The term Darwin used for selective breeding was "artificial selection", but I'm not crazy about that term either for pretty much the same reasons. How about something like "intentional selection" or even just "human selection"? Either of those, I think, would be a better choice.
Oh, and I caught one typo. It's on page 226. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction was not "about 6 million years ago." It was about 65 million years ago. Somehow, the "5" got dropped in the edition I read (ISBN 978-1-61723-020-2).
Despite all that, this is still one of the best books I've read recently. It's informative, thought provoking, and even hopeful (with all due cautionary qualifications, of course). If you're interested in evolution or the future of humanity, this is a "must read".
Seldom do I find a nonfiction book that I can't put down. This is one. It is a fascinating account of the complex interplay of things beyond genes that affect how species evolve. I highly recommend it.
Not that I don't have a gripe. It's probably petty, but "unnatural selection"? Really? Unnatural? It's not that the term is inaccurate...exactly. What the authors are emphasizing is that human actions rather than the unguided hand of natural selection is now directing how evolution proceeds. Got that, but the word "unnatural" has negative connotations, and the thrust of the book is that humanity guiding its own continued evolution isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it may be essential to our survival. Also, the word implies that what humans do, and perhaps even humans themselves, aren't natural. But it is and we are. We evolved through natural selection just like everything else, and human constructions are no less natural than termite mounds or beaver dams. All creatures affect their environment. We're just a bit more...blatant about it. The term Darwin used for selective breeding was "artificial selection", but I'm not crazy about that term either for pretty much the same reasons. How about something like "intentional selection" or even just "human selection"? Either of those, I think, would be a better choice.
Oh, and I caught one typo. It's on page 226. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction was not "about 6 million years ago." It was about 65 million years ago. Somehow, the "5" got dropped in the edition I read (ISBN 978-1-61723-020-2).
Despite all that, this is still one of the best books I've read recently. It's informative, thought provoking, and even hopeful (with all due cautionary qualifications, of course). If you're interested in evolution or the future of humanity, this is a "must read".
March 2, 2018
The Complicated Made Simpler
An extremely educational book by two authors who have so much to say - covering a broad spectrum of complicated issues - and opt to summarize them in the simplest language possible. I am grateful for this book (as I was grateful for As the Future Catches You.)
An extremely educational book by two authors who have so much to say - covering a broad spectrum of complicated issues - and opt to summarize them in the simplest language possible. I am grateful for this book (as I was grateful for As the Future Catches You.)
March 27, 2021
Read this a few backs but truly appreciated it now. Excellent read
February 1, 2021
Bilimin önemli bir alanını yakından izleyip, çoğunluğun anlayabileceği düzende yazması yazalarların başarısı. Bu kadar hızlı gelişen bir alanda zaten geç çevrilmiş kitabı okumakta gecikmem benim basiretsizliğim. (Yazıldıktan sonra geçen altı yılda nelerin değiştiğini çok merak ettim). Yazarların biyografisi altında onlarla yarışırcasına iddialı özgeçmiş yazıp, en basit cümleleri anlaşılmaz kılan, üst satırda kişinin soyadını yazıp altta soyadını tercüme eden (iki kere) çevirmenin başarısızlığı.
December 8, 2024
I had to read this book for my evolution class. The best way I can describe this book is like a collection of Facebook snippets of memes that are somewhat related to evolution. Each of the sections in the book goes over eye catching titles found like on social media about evolution, but does not go into depth of actual peer reviewed journal articles to back up these almost trending titles about evolution. A very poorly written book using buzzwords that aren’t really used in the scientific community, but rather catches the audience’s attention just because they have heard these buzzwords before. I rather disappointing book recommended by my evolution professor.
October 24, 2018
Ótimo livro e leitura extremamente recomendável. O autor passa por diversos temas de forma rápida, sucinta, bem fundamentada e didática. De explicações básicas sobre conceitos biológicos a discussões filosóficas muito pertinentes, ele comenta sobre evolução humana contemporânea e sua relação com tecnologia, questiona paradigmas que boa parte da sociedade sequer pensa sobre, e levanta hipóteses sobre o que podemos esperar e como proceder no futuro.
July 8, 2018
Really enjoyed this book and the many jumping off points it provided for future research.
August 23, 2018
If I had to pick one person to have a conversation with at a party, it would be Juan Enriquez! This book talks about all the things I ponder all day, everyday. It's a must-read.
April 5, 2020
2016.06.09–2016.06.13
Contents
Enriquez J & Gullans S (2015) (10:50) Evolving Ourselves - How Unnatural Selection and Nonrandom Mutation are Changing Life on Earth
What Would Darwin Write Today?
1. Symptoms of Real-Time Evolution
• Is Autism a Harbinger of Our Changing Brains?
• The DarWa Theory Revisited . . . and a Glimpse at a New Theory
• Twenty Generations to Domesticate Humans
• Violence and the Lack Thereof
• Allergies: Another Harbinger of Our Evolving Bodies?
• Our Unnatural “All-Natural” World
• Fat Humans, Fat Animals: Another Symptom?
• Brave New Sex
2. How Does Evolution Really Work?
• The Nature Versus Nurture Wars
• Missing Heredity, Mysterious Toxins
• Transgenerational Inheritance—aka “Voodoo Biology”
• WWIV: Nuking Our Microbes
• The “Yucky” Stuff Inside You
• Autism Revisited: Three Potential Drivers
• Viruses: The Roadrunners of Evolution
• A Perfectly Modern Pregnancy
• Bringing It All Together—DESTINY Is Propelling Evolution
3. A World of Nonrandom Mutation
• Playing with the Building Blocks of Life
• Humans Hijacking Viruses
• Editing Life on a Grand Scale
• Unnatural Acts, Designer Babies, and Sex 2.0
• Boyden Brains
4. Evolving Ourselves . . .
• Better Living Through Chemistry?
• Forever Young, Beautiful, and Fearless?
• Unnatural Attraction
• Sports Quandaries and Beyond . . .
• Designer Organs and Cloned Humans
• Evolving Brains Revisited
• The Robot-Computer-Human Interface
• Perhaps an Ethical Question or Two?
• Technically Life, Technically Death
• Trust Whom?
5. The Future of Life
• I Don’t Remember You . . . De-Extinction
• Humanity’s Really Short Story
• Evolving Hominins . . .
• Synthetic Life
• Humans and Hubris: Does Nature Win in the End?
• Leaving Earth?
• EPILOGUE: New Evolutionary Trees
Acknowledgments
Appendix: Darwin—True or False: Did He Get It Right?
Glossary
Notes
Index
Contents
Enriquez J & Gullans S (2015) (10:50) Evolving Ourselves - How Unnatural Selection and Nonrandom Mutation are Changing Life on Earth
What Would Darwin Write Today?
1. Symptoms of Real-Time Evolution
• Is Autism a Harbinger of Our Changing Brains?
• The DarWa Theory Revisited . . . and a Glimpse at a New Theory
• Twenty Generations to Domesticate Humans
• Violence and the Lack Thereof
• Allergies: Another Harbinger of Our Evolving Bodies?
• Our Unnatural “All-Natural” World
• Fat Humans, Fat Animals: Another Symptom?
• Brave New Sex
2. How Does Evolution Really Work?
• The Nature Versus Nurture Wars
• Missing Heredity, Mysterious Toxins
• Transgenerational Inheritance—aka “Voodoo Biology”
• WWIV: Nuking Our Microbes
• The “Yucky” Stuff Inside You
• Autism Revisited: Three Potential Drivers
• Viruses: The Roadrunners of Evolution
• A Perfectly Modern Pregnancy
• Bringing It All Together—DESTINY Is Propelling Evolution
3. A World of Nonrandom Mutation
• Playing with the Building Blocks of Life
• Humans Hijacking Viruses
• Editing Life on a Grand Scale
• Unnatural Acts, Designer Babies, and Sex 2.0
• Boyden Brains
4. Evolving Ourselves . . .
• Better Living Through Chemistry?
• Forever Young, Beautiful, and Fearless?
• Unnatural Attraction
• Sports Quandaries and Beyond . . .
• Designer Organs and Cloned Humans
• Evolving Brains Revisited
• The Robot-Computer-Human Interface
• Perhaps an Ethical Question or Two?
• Technically Life, Technically Death
• Trust Whom?
5. The Future of Life
• I Don’t Remember You . . . De-Extinction
• Humanity’s Really Short Story
• Evolving Hominins . . .
• Synthetic Life
• Humans and Hubris: Does Nature Win in the End?
• Leaving Earth?
• EPILOGUE: New Evolutionary Trees
Acknowledgments
Appendix: Darwin—True or False: Did He Get It Right?
Glossary
Notes
Index
August 13, 2020
Whistle-stop tour of bio-engineering as of 2015 plus quite a lot of enthusiastic projecting into the future. It's not particularly carefully structured, jumping here and there like a bag of frogs, and each of the topics is treated slightly superficially, but I like the author's unapologetic positive slant on new discoveries and optimistic assessments of potential areas of enquiry, and general willingness to consider that the acquisition of new knowledge and the application of new technologies might continue to benefit the human race, as they have done to date. It is a brave attitude to hold in our sad, newly benighted times.
The subject is mostly fascinating, and there is a lot of interesting content for such a short book, although the authors seem uninterested in drawing the line between science and science-fiction, so that it is not always clear how seriously to take their constant claims for the destruction of existing paradigms. There also seems to be quite a few outright factual mistakes. This is far from being my specialist subject, yet I found a number of oopsies without having to do any particular fact-checking: common misconceptions, long-debunked urban legends, messed-up chronology, and so on. The jocular tone also grates, reminding the reader that we are firmly in the realm of TED talks, rather than serious academic discourse. Clearly this was quickly written, and is worth a quick read.
The subject is mostly fascinating, and there is a lot of interesting content for such a short book, although the authors seem uninterested in drawing the line between science and science-fiction, so that it is not always clear how seriously to take their constant claims for the destruction of existing paradigms. There also seems to be quite a few outright factual mistakes. This is far from being my specialist subject, yet I found a number of oopsies without having to do any particular fact-checking: common misconceptions, long-debunked urban legends, messed-up chronology, and so on. The jocular tone also grates, reminding the reader that we are firmly in the realm of TED talks, rather than serious academic discourse. Clearly this was quickly written, and is worth a quick read.
April 12, 2015
I'd like to thank the author for a copy of the book and the chance to review it through the GoodReads First Reads program.
Wow! I loved this book!
“Evolving Ourselves” is the perfect marriage of history and science with little punches of humor mixed in here and there. While it dealt with important/complex issues of biology, genetics, and evolution, you don’t need a Ph.D or MD. to understand the information. It was written so everyone can understand and benefit from it. It was very informative and very obvious that the authors spent a great deal of time researching the information. The flow and progression throughout the book was good and kept me wondering what the next chapter was going to cover.
There were so many times that I thought “hhmm… I hadn’t thought of it that way. No wonder!!” When a book has you thinking about it long after you’ve put it down, then it was a good book!
I would totally recommend this book to Everyone! (Some of the topics covered in this book helped my daughter in her AP Biology class a few weeks ago. Although it’s NOT written like a “Science Textbook”)
Wow! I loved this book!
“Evolving Ourselves” is the perfect marriage of history and science with little punches of humor mixed in here and there. While it dealt with important/complex issues of biology, genetics, and evolution, you don’t need a Ph.D or MD. to understand the information. It was written so everyone can understand and benefit from it. It was very informative and very obvious that the authors spent a great deal of time researching the information. The flow and progression throughout the book was good and kept me wondering what the next chapter was going to cover.
There were so many times that I thought “hhmm… I hadn’t thought of it that way. No wonder!!” When a book has you thinking about it long after you’ve put it down, then it was a good book!
I would totally recommend this book to Everyone! (Some of the topics covered in this book helped my daughter in her AP Biology class a few weeks ago. Although it’s NOT written like a “Science Textbook”)
March 19, 2016
This is a fascinating book about the speed-up of evolution in a largely human-controlled (for now) world. I disagree with the point of view of the authors that modern technology, including genetic engineering, is mainly a good thing, and that science is leading us in largely positive directions. I may own and use all the modern conveniences, but I'm a neo-Luddite at heart, and very concerned about human-caused climate change, the extinction of other species, etc. In fact, I think science and technology is going to lead to the extinction or near-extinction of our own species. The authors of "Evolving Ourselves" acknowledge that it's only by luck that our species survived and other hominids did not, and don't believe that our survival means we're some kind of "crown of creation." At the same time, however, they seem to believe it's okay for humankind to continue to manipulate our planet -- and, ultimately, the universe solely for our own benefit. In fact, they recommend space exploration and colonization (only "better this time") so that our species will have a chance to survive a catastrophic event for planet Earth (like an asteroid -- they skirt the issue of climate change).
May 20, 2015
I think this is possibly the best book I've ever read! When reading fiction and you finish a book that you really enjoy, whose characters you are really invested in; it is a bittersweet feeling. You're happy that you've reached the final milestone and tackled the whole book, but wait...I don't want it to end! I want to keep reading more about these characters! This is the first non-fiction book I've read that made me feel that way! Oh no, it can't possibly be over already?!
This book instills fear and then hope for the future! I have been reading a lot of books recently on genetics and this one was so full of possibilities for the detriment and the benefit of man, and animal-kind.
I feel that even people without previous knowledge or background in the subject would enjoy this book! The authors put everything in an easily understandable language, that, I feel, could be easier devoured by any layperson or biologist alike!
I hope I can find another book, in the future, that fills me with as much excitement as this one has! Kudos to the authors for writing such an exceptional book!
This book instills fear and then hope for the future! I have been reading a lot of books recently on genetics and this one was so full of possibilities for the detriment and the benefit of man, and animal-kind.
I feel that even people without previous knowledge or background in the subject would enjoy this book! The authors put everything in an easily understandable language, that, I feel, could be easier devoured by any layperson or biologist alike!
I hope I can find another book, in the future, that fills me with as much excitement as this one has! Kudos to the authors for writing such an exceptional book!
December 19, 2017
It is very badly written. There is no logical connection between the chapters and the subject is constantly changing. I felt as if somebody has been talking to himself without listening other people or without letting others to express themselves. I am not going to discuss the scientific content of this book in detail, but readers should be cautious about accepting the stories in this book as facts.
November 26, 2015
As a very liberal scientist, it saddens me to see that this is so well received as a work of 'science'. Right from the beginning, this is full of baseless claims with no real scientific backing - mostly meant to appeal to credulous Liberals. A previous reviewer said it better than I can - this isn't much more than a Facebook meme expanded to book form. Disappointing.
December 28, 2015
Frightening
The potential in the book is frightening.Humans are capable of doing things that are not necessarily for the better of mankind , ok maybe not in my life,but still frightening.
The potential in the book is frightening.Humans are capable of doing things that are not necessarily for the better of mankind , ok maybe not in my life,but still frightening.
December 31, 2018
Great read for the first half, pretty disappointing afterwards. An interesting read to get up to date with the news and (some) science in genetics, robotics, and some other fields through which humans can alter themselves and other species.
April 3, 2015
Interesting read. The book is well researched. It gave me some new insight.
March 14, 2015
I received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion
October 25, 2015
after the first 40 pages, this book went from 2 stars to 5. very interesting info and thoughtful analyses.
March 28, 2016
Very thought provoking book. Whereas most books look BACK at Human Evolution (by natural selection), this book looks FORWARD at Human Evolution (by UN-natural selection).
December 13, 2016
Short of substance.
September 11, 2022
It was a little choppy in the delivery.
April 22, 2025
"Evolving Ourselves: How Unnatural Selection and Nonrandom Mutation are Changing Life on Earth" explores the idea that human choices and technologies are now significant forces shaping evolution, alongside traditional natural selection and random mutation. The book argues that we are actively influencing the course of evolution, not just passively observing it, and that this has profound implications for the future of life on Earth.
1. The Shift in Evolutionary Forces:
Unnatural Selection:
The book highlights how human choices and interventions, like selective breeding, genetic engineering, and environmental modification, are influencing which organisms thrive and which decline. This contrasts with natural selection, where survival is primarily determined by an organism's ability to adapt to its environment.
Nonrandom Mutation:
Advanced technologies allow us to target specific mutations, deviating from the random nature of traditional mutation. This means we can alter the genetic makeup of organisms in ways that would not occur naturally.
2. Implications and Concerns:
Future of Humanity:
The authors argue that the choices we make regarding these technologies will determine the future of humanity, including our health, lifespan, and even our species' characteristics.
Unintended Consequences:
The book warns of the potential for unforeseen consequences, as our actions in one area can have far-reaching impacts on the ecosystem and other species.
The Future of Nature:
The authors suggest that the balance between human influence and natural processes will determine the future of the natural world.
3. Key Arguments:
Humans as Agents of Change:
The book emphasizes that humans are no longer just observers of evolution but are actively shaping it.
The Need for Awareness:
It calls for greater awareness and responsible decision-making regarding the technologies that allow us to manipulate evolution.
The Interconnectedness of Life:
The authors highlight how our choices impact not only ourselves but also other species and the environment.
In essence, "Evolving Ourselves" is a thought-provoking exploration of the new era of evolution, where human intervention is becoming a major force, and it calls for careful consideration of our role in shaping the future of life on Earth.
1. The Shift in Evolutionary Forces:
Unnatural Selection:
The book highlights how human choices and interventions, like selective breeding, genetic engineering, and environmental modification, are influencing which organisms thrive and which decline. This contrasts with natural selection, where survival is primarily determined by an organism's ability to adapt to its environment.
Nonrandom Mutation:
Advanced technologies allow us to target specific mutations, deviating from the random nature of traditional mutation. This means we can alter the genetic makeup of organisms in ways that would not occur naturally.
2. Implications and Concerns:
Future of Humanity:
The authors argue that the choices we make regarding these technologies will determine the future of humanity, including our health, lifespan, and even our species' characteristics.
Unintended Consequences:
The book warns of the potential for unforeseen consequences, as our actions in one area can have far-reaching impacts on the ecosystem and other species.
The Future of Nature:
The authors suggest that the balance between human influence and natural processes will determine the future of the natural world.
3. Key Arguments:
Humans as Agents of Change:
The book emphasizes that humans are no longer just observers of evolution but are actively shaping it.
The Need for Awareness:
It calls for greater awareness and responsible decision-making regarding the technologies that allow us to manipulate evolution.
The Interconnectedness of Life:
The authors highlight how our choices impact not only ourselves but also other species and the environment.
In essence, "Evolving Ourselves" is a thought-provoking exploration of the new era of evolution, where human intervention is becoming a major force, and it calls for careful consideration of our role in shaping the future of life on Earth.
August 24, 2018
This book is an extensive consideration of humanity’s active role in shaping the course of our evolution, particularly when considering relatively recent advances in genomics and synthetic biology. I highly recommend as the authors effectively portray the potential of our impact, although the examples do sometimes verge on science fiction (which they note).
One point is that, although there is a brief section on this, the authors describe science as fact quite often and base conclusions on previous conjecture. However, when writing a book which needs to be accessible and commercial, I understand that sometimes you need to commodify the science. If you are not from an academic background, I consider this book highly readable but advise remaining sceptical throughout.
Side note: the authors do go a bit mad with the ellipses at the end of chapters and the book is rife with ‘Science Dad’ jokes.
All the same, the breadth of research makes the book feel ‘complete’ and is sectioned into an easy-to-understand format. I believe the intention of the book can be summarised in the phrase: ‘Proceed with caution.’
One point is that, although there is a brief section on this, the authors describe science as fact quite often and base conclusions on previous conjecture. However, when writing a book which needs to be accessible and commercial, I understand that sometimes you need to commodify the science. If you are not from an academic background, I consider this book highly readable but advise remaining sceptical throughout.
Side note: the authors do go a bit mad with the ellipses at the end of chapters and the book is rife with ‘Science Dad’ jokes.
All the same, the breadth of research makes the book feel ‘complete’ and is sectioned into an easy-to-understand format. I believe the intention of the book can be summarised in the phrase: ‘Proceed with caution.’
February 2, 2017
This book was not exactly what I was expecting or hoping for. The first part of the book was interesting, as it looked at the ways that modern advances are shaping human evolution, which was what I was curious to learn more about. However, most of the book focused more on the future of humans and all the cutting edge ways we are learning to guide and control human development. The ideas were thought provoking, but I found much of it to be really "out there", bordering on science fiction. I also thought there should have been some space devoted to looking at the ethical questions that this topic brings up. It's not just a question of whether we CAN shape human evolution, but SHOULD we. In many ways, I thought the book fell short and I was a bit disappointed, once I got past the first few chapters.
June 17, 2020
The books is almost a guide to the next phase of life on earth.
Authors conduct a sweeping tour of how humans are changing the course of evolution for all species, both intentionally and unintentionally.
What if life forms are limited only by our imagination? Are designer babies and pets, de-extinction, entirely new species fair game?
As humans, plants and animals become increasingly disease-resistant and live longer, what would be the leading causes of death? Even as man-machine interfaces allow us to live longer, what will happen when we transfer parts of our ‘selves’ to clones, stored cells and machines?
Though these questions are unsettlingly, the authors believe that we are in an epoch of tremendous opportunity. Future humans may be more diverse, resilient, gentler and intelligent and may take better care of the planet provided we make the right choices now!
Authors conduct a sweeping tour of how humans are changing the course of evolution for all species, both intentionally and unintentionally.
What if life forms are limited only by our imagination? Are designer babies and pets, de-extinction, entirely new species fair game?
As humans, plants and animals become increasingly disease-resistant and live longer, what would be the leading causes of death? Even as man-machine interfaces allow us to live longer, what will happen when we transfer parts of our ‘selves’ to clones, stored cells and machines?
Though these questions are unsettlingly, the authors believe that we are in an epoch of tremendous opportunity. Future humans may be more diverse, resilient, gentler and intelligent and may take better care of the planet provided we make the right choices now!
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