Peak Evolution

[biffvernon]

And in most cases long enough to raise their offspring to a degree

Have universities been around that long?

[extractorfan]

And in most cases long enough to raise their offspring to a degree

Have universities been around that long?

the university of life mate, as my old boss used to say

[vtsnowedin]

And in most cases long enough to raise their offspring to a degree

Have universities been around that long?

Queens College Cambridge was passing out BAs and MAs in 1601. One of my ancestors snagged one.

[emordnilap]

This business of even the unfittest surviving is a mere fossil-fuelled blip, though whether human evolution has 'stopped' is an interesting academic exercise.

If it has stopped, it will restart - that is, if a seriously unstable climate doesn't wipe us out.

[RenewableCandy]

Anyway, evolution hasn't stopped, just changed direction. Some people simply can't survive the barrage of advertising that we face every day, and start to believe that buying things will solve their problems. They then buy xtal-meth, too much alcohol, boob-jobs, psychotherapy, things with chemicals in that make them ill, medicines they don't need, food of the type that makes them obese, etc etc, any one of which will decrease their chances of leaving successful progeny.

Evolution now favours us slightly more inward-looking types who are mentally capable of ignoring or avoiding adverts.

[clv101]

They then buy xtal-meth, too much alcohol, boob-jobs, psychotherapy, things with chemicals in that make them ill, medicines they don't need, food of the type that makes them obese, etc etc, any one of which will decrease their chances of leaving successful progeny.

I'm not so sure - around 25% of women won't have a baby but I've no reason to suspect a correlation between being childfree/childless and the activities you mention.

The Darwinian idea of evolution of survival of the "fittest" isn't always as obvious as it sounds. The type of evolution humans are likely to be undergoing now is divergent evolution. As our population is really big, and "fittest" is all about how mates are selected, it's likely that pairs of characteristics will continue to attract until our species splits into two incompatible new species.

[RenewableCandy]

I'm not so sure - around 25% of women won't have a baby but I've no reason to suspect a correlation between being childfree/childless and the activities you mention.

I was talking about everybody, not just women. Men who do all those things (except, natch, the boob jobs), are less likely to be chosen as prospective mates/dates by the rest of us, than men who are more sensible!

[clv101]

I thought plenty of women still went for "conspicuous consumption"?

[biffvernon]

I thought plenty of women still went for "conspicuous consumption"?

Yes, but they call it 'shopping'.

[extractorfan]

I thought plenty of women still went for "conspicuous consumption"?

Yes, but they call it 'shopping'.

My OH often comes home proud of herself for not buying something, last time it was a scooter for our boy, the boy who has nearly everything (just a scooter left I believe).

There's a serious point to that though, she's aware of the short term gratification from buying crap, but it's like an addiction. She really has done well to not purchase something for £20.

[woodburner]

I am doing even better, there were thousands of things I didn't buy yesterday.

[extractorfan]

I am doing even better, there were thousands of things I didn't buy yesterday.

Ah but I suspect, like me, you've not suffered the addiction to spending money on crap.

[Little John]

I have a slight addiction in that regard. It's not an addiction to spending money. it's an addiction to hoarding and collecting.

I satisfy it in two ways. Firstly, I make sure I direct my collecting/hoarding tendencies towards old things that need repairing that I can get from car boots. Secondly, After collecting and repairing a group of things, I sell them on Ebay, more often than not for a profit..

For example, for the last few months I have been collecting and repairing woodworker's braces of varying sweeps and augers of varying sizes I have managed to get hold of augers in sixteenths all the way from 4/16 to 1 and 4/16. I have re-sharpened them all so they are as good as new. They cut holes perfectly. I have also managed to get hold of an old 1914 single adjustable auger bit that goes from about a 1/4" all the way up to 2". Again fully restored now. I have made up a traditional roll-up canvas bag to hold them all in. The only thing left to complete the set would be a 14" sweep brace as these are really useful for large diameter hoes where you need the torque. Perhaps, also, a nice wooden toolbox to put them all in.

Now, all of the above has cost me no more than about 20 quid picked up from car boots. Also, about 10 hours of time repairing and cleaning up. however, as a full set, I wouldn't be surprised if I could not far off a hundred quid or more for it. It barely covers for the times spend, but that doesn't really matter as it wasn't work, it was leisure and I will definitely get my money back.

Next on the horizon is typewriter. This was an accidental turn of events really as i was given an old 1926 Remington model 2 portable by one of my customers who was actually throwing it out!

I've WD40'd it, given it a good oil and clean up, fitted a new 1/2" ribbon to the spools and it works like the day it left the factory.

I haven't got a photo of mine t hand, but here is a web photo of the same model






.......I've just got to get hold of the other 4 Remington models to complete the set now.....