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A bit of a weird question: Can modern medicine be a threat to humanity long-term by greatly reducing effects of natural selection? (lemmy.sdf.org)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

107 comments fedilink hide all child comments

OK, I hope my question doesn't get misunderstood, I can see how that could happen.
Just a product of overthinking.

Idea is that we can live fairly easily even with some diseases/disorders which could be-life threatening. Many of these are hereditary.
Since modern medicine increases our survival capabilities, the "weaker" individuals can also survive and have offsprings that could potentially inherit these weaknesses, and as this continues it could perhaps leave nearly all people suffering from such conditions further into future.

Does that sound like a realistic scenario? (Assuming we don't destroy ourselves along with the environment first...)

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Natural selection is an agent that runs contrary to the thing which is currently out-competing natural selection, that being big brain thinkering

E.g., if a cancer research scientist dies from a weak heart, that will reduce future life expectancy more than it will increase it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Natural selection and evolution happen because genetic traits in some individuals are more beneficial than in other individuals. It has nothing to do with increasing future life expectancy for most or all of the species. If a doctor is helping non-relatives far more than relatives, his contribution is not selected for.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

a doctor is helping non-relatives far more than relatives, his contribution is not selected for.

Which is the whole point of my comment...