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Understanding Life and Death: A Genetic Perspective
Read more: Understanding Life and Death: A Genetic PerspectiveIs it possible to be alive but dead or to be dead but still living? It depends on how we define death. Death is about being in a non-contributory state. It is when we cease to be doing anything. More specifically, it is when we no longer have any purpose, relevance, or value for our genes. There are actually more ways of determining death than we might…
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COVID-19 – Society Fights Our Cause?
Read more: COVID-19 – Society Fights Our Cause?Society – even though it can come in many guises – is a great man-made edifice that has enabled humanity to survive in a natural world that can be harsh and merciless. We get our strength from society. Quite frankly, without society’s protection, we would not have survived. It is our defensive barrier, our protective armour against the wider world. In deciding on our evolutionary journey, we…
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Understanding Family Medical History for Better Health
Read more: Understanding Family Medical History for Better HealthWhen we visit our doctor for a check-up, the most important part of that conversation should be around our family’s medical history. This often provides clues as to what we and they should be looking out for. We should certainly be aware of the medical history of both our parents and our grandparents. It’s highly likely that their serious ailments are genetically based and may well have…
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Our Shift from Reproductive Sex to Recreational Sex
Read more: Our Shift from Reproductive Sex to Recreational SexSexual relationships are about attraction. We see something we like in a person, and we want to spend more time with that person; we want to have sex with that person. Years ago, it was relatively straightforward. We were effectively on a search, seeking out “the one” – the perfect partner for us; the person we wanted to have a baby with; the person we wanted to…
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Humanity’s Next Evolutionary Step: Unlocking Dual Capacity
Read more: Humanity’s Next Evolutionary Step: Unlocking Dual CapacityHumanity, like all species, adapts to its environment. If we have the genetic opportunity to make an advantageous adaptation, one that provides some benefit within the prevailing environment, then we will seize that chance. It should be good for us; it should improve our survival prospects. It is the basis of our evolution. Adopting an upright stance or the development of opposing thumbs are both examples of…
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The Role of Society in Human Survival
Read more: The Role of Society in Human SurvivalLife’s motivation is survival. Not as individuals – our physical fragility and durability limit that – but as a species. It is our genes that must go on. They are the basis of our being, and it is they that have the capacity to survive into the future. For this reason, they are the driving force of our existence. As a species, we, like all species, have…
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How Societal Living Shapes our Evolution
Read more: How Societal Living Shapes our EvolutionOf all the choices humanity could have made, of all the pathways humanity could have chosen, opting for a societal existence as our means to survive was inspired. Most obviously, it has worked – we are still in existence. By living together, we have been better able to provide for each other – sustenance, shelter, heating and protection. As a result, we have been better able to…
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Genetic Flaws: Understanding Human Imperfection
Read more: Genetic Flaws: Understanding Human ImperfectionNo one’s perfect; no one can ever be perfect – that’s certainly the case in genetics. This lack of perfection, this inability to achieve perfection, means that we all carry weaknesses. Genetic flaws. Some greater than others; some more consequential than others. These flaws matter because they are liabilities on our genetic balance sheet. Whatever genetic appeal we may have, it will always be considered alongside any…
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The Changing Shift in Gender Roles
Read more: The Changing Shift in Gender RolesThroughout Nature and certainly in the case of humanity, males have tended to be the dominant gender – not only are they bigger and stronger, but the nature of their reproductive act – their genetic contribution – is rapid-repeating, unlimited and non-committal. It means that they can tender their genes as much as they like. Females, on the other hand, have to make a much greater investment…