Dr. Dalek

It seems unlikely, but that would explain alot about Bill Gates.

So "what if" scenarios are irrelevant? We simply limit our actions until we have a greater understanding. Sounds good to me.

Neither Severian nor myself rejected evolution. Further more "science" is a methodology by which we study the natural world. You are pushing it as if it were a religion and anyone who’s believes even slightly differently is a blasphemer. I believe very firmly in evolution but have been trying to make it clear that I am open minded to other possibilities however unlikely they may be.

Thank you Severian! I was tried of playing defense. Yes that is interesting. "Falling into sin" becomes the development of sentience. I recently read an article about the interbreeding of Chimps and our Hominid ancestors. Apparently it took millions of years for our ancestors to completely differentiate from apes because the two groups were constantly having intimate relations. Perhaps when we developed sentience we developed a dislike of breeding outside of our species.

Science as we know it has limits. Science was created by flawed beings (humans) therefore science as an establishment must have flaws. I don't doubt science has answers. I just realize that current science doesn’t have all of them. More answers and more questions will come with time. Please get back to evolution!!!!!!!!!

Interesting. The transgenic white cells become part of the chimeric mouses reproductive system, they probably would have at least somewhat of a presence in all of the organs and systems wouldn't they? How do you know that the transgenic genes become passed on with the white gene. Don't reproductive cells switch their genes between chromosomes while maturing. You know the law of independent assortment?

Faith is impossible to prove or disprove! We had a lengthy discussion about this in "Intelligent Design in Schools." God might exist, we don't know, we might one day, but it's irrelevant right now. Prove that I exist! Prove to me that you exist! Prove that the world wasn't created from the void two decades ago and all we know about science and history is just false memories implanted by the Gods to keep us under their petty rule! I can't prove that the Jewish/Christian God does or doesn't exist! We can't truly prove evolution is true; we can just prove that it is likely through the accumulation of evidence. Let's not argue about weather faith or science is right because its impossible to come to a sound conclusion! Nothing in science or life is certain! Some things are just more near certain than others.

The attachment might change to. A child could spend their early years looking up to their mother and then become more attatched to their father when older.

Punctuated Equilibrium probably only happens quickly in terms of geological time. What would really be interesting is if we humans could read the signs of speciation or a period of rapid change and study it first hand. It would be a study that took centuries to finish but it would be enlightening.

Punctuated equilibrium is a theory which states that most sexual species will go through extended periods where they don't change too much and suddenly will begin to split and speciate. See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_Equilibrium

I have read alot of forums on subjects related to this recently. What gives

Very few things in science are certain.

Then again is it ethical to use IVS to control a populations psychology? Aggressive and greedy impulses have many bad implications in modern society, then again as evolution has it, we may have those things for a reason. Mucking around with human nature may be done with good intentions, but WARNING CLICHE AHAED! The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Say that could be a good member project!

But please will someone get back to evolution?! Here let me try.. . . Imagine this scenario; an insect is moved out of its environment into an alien one and becomes an invasive species. In ten thousand years a descendant of the insect is moved back into it's ancestors original breeding population and native environment. How would it fare?

Too true. Though the positive aspects of this methodology, we'll call it "In Vitro Selection", are too great to be ignored. There is a question in my mind as to the morality of "IVS", but if it can be done somebody will do it (and someone already has) . You might agree with the statement that this sort of thing cannot be left to itself, someone, some experts with some athority must be brought together to discus it. Perhaps someone, such as a government body or an association of Doctors should be called upon to address this issue. Experts who are asked to ponder the morality of "In Vitro Selection" and other questions such as "What should the limits of "IVS" be?" and "Who should enforce them” and most of all “Who can be TRUSTED in enforcing such thing?”

The process described in the text makes sense to me for one reason. Normally in nature an organism produces far more young than can possibly survive, thus the most genetically and/or physically fit will survive. Where as we humans save all of our young through medical science. This leads to the gene pool being filled with strains that would be unfit to survive however . . . . . what if some one in a Dictatorship, or a Nazi like regime instituted this process on a massive scale, almost like pre-birth racial cleansing. Genocide with a scalpel and a stethoscope?

Things people do like this always seem to be a conundrum to me. I always find myself saying "That makes sense" then wondering if it is moral. This overlaps on abortion because some of the embryos are being destroyed, my opinion on abortion has always been undecided, what does anyone else think?

From what I've read one of the major concerns comes from the bird flu entering an intermediate species such as pigs and encountering a human flu virus spread to the same pig. If the viruses were to intermingle in the pigs cells they might mutate or hybridize and create a new human virus that our systems don't know how to fight,