Are humans using medicine to go against survival of the fittest?
During a discussion, Professor Halfon brought up the question of whether or not humans can break natural laws, and if so, are there consequences for these actions? Over time, humans have begun to interfere and change the course of nature when it comes to things such as people contracting deadly diseases or protecting endangered species. Technology, culture, and medicine buffer environmental stressors that would otherwise drive evolutionary adaptations in humans (Platter, 2009.) During this discussion we did not come up with a right or wrong answer, but rather formulated an opinion of how these things are affecting the world we live in today.
For example, Brandon E. Platter has been studying the human genome in regards to human genes becoming resistant to certain diseases. It has become evident that some humans have become resistant to malaria as well as HIV and are not adapting any further in certain areas (Platter, 2009.) Deaths from malaria have decreased 25% from 2000-2010 proving that vaccines are having an effect on deaths from certain diseases (Bunker, 2012.) It is very evident that lives in this time period are being lengthened by medical care and technology. In a later class there was a discussion about how the world's food sources will not be able to feed the entire population if it keeps growing at the same rate as today (Breslau, 2003.) This is one example of how increasing life span of our population could have a very negative effect on the society we live in today.
Overall, our generation has learned to do the impossible and come up with cures and inventions that nobody would have thought possible many years ago. These great advances also come with some disadvantages as talked about earlier. Our answer to the question are there consequences when humans break the natural laws is yes, we do believe so. Our society is going to have to learn to let nature take its course more often than not so that we do not suffer the consequences.
For example, Brandon E. Platter has been studying the human genome in regards to human genes becoming resistant to certain diseases. It has become evident that some humans have become resistant to malaria as well as HIV and are not adapting any further in certain areas (Platter, 2009.) Deaths from malaria have decreased 25% from 2000-2010 proving that vaccines are having an effect on deaths from certain diseases (Bunker, 2012.) It is very evident that lives in this time period are being lengthened by medical care and technology. In a later class there was a discussion about how the world's food sources will not be able to feed the entire population if it keeps growing at the same rate as today (Breslau, 2003.) This is one example of how increasing life span of our population could have a very negative effect on the society we live in today.
Overall, our generation has learned to do the impossible and come up with cures and inventions that nobody would have thought possible many years ago. These great advances also come with some disadvantages as talked about earlier. Our answer to the question are there consequences when humans break the natural laws is yes, we do believe so. Our society is going to have to learn to let nature take its course more often than not so that we do not suffer the consequences.