Dr. Curry and the future of mankind

Dr Curry warns…in 10,000 years time humans may have paid a genetic price for relying on technology.

Spoiled by gadgets designed to meet their every need, they could come to resemble domesticated animals.

Social skills, such as communicating and interacting with others, could be lost, along with emotions such as love, sympathy, trust and respect.  People would become less able to care for others, or perform in teams.

Physically, they would start to appear more juvenile.  Chins would recede, as a result of having to chew less on processed food.

There could also be health problems caused by reliance on medicine, resulting in weak immune systems.  Preventing deaths would also help to preserve the genetic defects that cause cancer.

Dr. Curry also claims:

Further into the future, sexual selection – being choosy about one’s partner – was likely to create more and more genetic inequality, said Dr Curry.

Only his third paragraph — about less sociability — fits my basic model of future human evolution.  Genetic engineering aside, won’t greater choosiness favor physically fit partners?  And given the ease of birth control, I expect that people will come to love their children more, even though they will care less about everyone else.  Who needs allies for quality child care when per capita income is very high? 

Here is the full story.  Thanks to Jason Kottke for the pointer.