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Humanity’s Evolutionary Downfall
The greatest threat to humanity is not nuclear obliteration, environmental catastrophe, meteor strike or a contagious virus. The greatest threat to our survival comes from ourselves and our relentless drive to develop and progress the world we live in. Generally, we perceive progress to be good for us. It means that we live longer, that…
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Interfering with Nature – Should I Get Involved?
On its back with its feet in the air, a wood louse was stranded in the middle of my patio. Defenceless and in the open, its future looked bleak. Gallantly, I came to the rescue. I turned it over. But, more than that, I moved it to a less exposed part of the garden where…
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Marriage – For Better or For Worse?
The idea that marriage is purely a formal, public pledge of love, devotion and commitment is to misunderstand the historical and genealogical purpose of this ceremonial bond. We should abandon any romantic notions we might have, and, instead, recognise marriage for what it really is – a managerial, controlling practice. In our early existence, male…
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Bagging a Territory to Secure a Mate
Different animals have different reproductive strategies. The only common characteristic is that each strategy is purposefully designed to secure the best reproductive partner available. By doing this an animal aims to give their off-spring the best genetic prospects. A common reproductive strategy is for the male to acquire a particular territory and then to seek…
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Mobility … Our Genetic Path to Development
Development – whether that is industrial, technological, economic or social – has expanded exponentially over the last couple of hundred years. This sudden upsurge contrasts with the slow, steady and incremental progress that had for many generations preceded it. Why has that suddenly happened? What triggered it? What sustains it? How long will it continue…
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Genetic Banking – Capturing Opportunities
Once a life is lived, its genetic outcome is spent. If a species has not taken advantage of the genetic opportunities presented to it, then that is a wasteful loss of potential. In a relentless battle for survival, to miss out on a resource that could prove beneficial might be considered as both negligent and…
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Genetic Dystopia – Nature’s Cruelty
All too often we will admire Nature for the beauty it produces, for the complexities it displays and for the variation it generates; but Nature also represents a cruel world. It’s a harsh reality – a dystopian state. If you are to ask what a dystopian world would look like, you would quite likely point…
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A Genetic Appraisal – Measuring Performance
We may not be due our year end, a salary review or our final exams but it should not mean that we are exempt from a genetic appraisal of how we are performing as a species. Are we achieving what we are supposed to be striving for? How well are we doing? How do we…
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Human Evolution – Past Success; Future Doubt
Humanity – we’re doing alright. In fact, we’re probably doing better than alright. We’ve been around awhile and, generally, our existence has not been too much in doubt. This is because, over the years, thousands of years, we have put ourselves in a strong evolutionary position. As a species, at some point in our development…
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Genetic Engineering: Essential and Inevitable
One thing that is apparent from our longer lifespans is that, as we age, the human form is prone to many genetically driven debilitating conditions. In other words, the longer we live the more likely we are to succumb to some genetically prescribed condition, notably cancers and degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s. Similarly, throughout our…
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Evolution – A Game of Chinese Whispers
If you had to think of an analogy to best describe evolution and the process of natural selection you might well opt for it being akin to a game of Chinese Whispers (or as some people call it – the Telephone Game). This comparison between the two is often made and is even used in…
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Sophie’s Choice: A Return to Nature
In the film “Sophie’s Choice“, Sophie (played by Meryl Streep) is ordered by a Nazi officer to make the difficult choice as to which of her two children lives – one would be gassed to death and one would be sent to a children’s camp. As any parent will testify, it’s an impossible decision to…
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Genetically Wrapped 