If we're evolving as a species...?

Sounds like you must be a christian that is being left behind!

Research has shown atheists have a higher intelligence than people with a strong religious faith. The difference is 5.8 points according to findings in developmental psychology!

More members of the "intellectual elite" considered themselves atheists than the national average.

Only 7 percent of members of the American National Academy of Sciences believed in God. Whilst only 3.3 percent believed in God in the UK’s Royal Society.

Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQ’s tend not to believe in God."

Neuroscientists have conducted the most comprehensive brain mapping to date of the cognitive abilities measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the most widely used intelligence test in the world.

The results show that the various factors that comprise a high or low IQ score

depend on particular regions of the brain.

The WAIS test is composed of four indices of intelligence, each consisting of several subtests, which together produce a full-scale IQ score. The four indices are the verbal comprehension index, which represents the ability to understand and to produce speech and use language; the perceptual organization index, which involves visual and spatial processing, such as the ability to perceive complex figures; the working memory index, which represents the ability to hold information temporarily in mind (similar to short-term memory); and the processing speed index.

With the exception of processing speed, which appears scattered throughout the brain, the lesion mapping showed that the other three cognitive indices really do depend on specific brain regions.

For example, lesions in the left frontal cortex were associated with lower scores on the verbal comprehension index; lesions in the left frontal and parietal cortex (located behind the frontal lobe) were associated with lower scores on the working memory index; and lesions in the right parietal cortex were associated with lower scores on the perceptual organization index.

The study also revealed a large amount of overlap in the brain regions responsible for verbal comprehension and working memory, which suggests that these two now-separate measures of cognitive ability may actually represent the same type of intelligence, at least as assessed using the WAIS.

It matters not if they are atheist because of this new type of intelligence or get it because they are atheist – it is a totally different and far more efficient process!!

A couple problems with your question.

1. The human immune system does evolve to fight off various bacteria and viruses. But viruses and bacteria are also evolving - and much faster than humans.

2. Cancer is the result of a cellular malfunction within our bodies. And many cancers have environmental factors in addition to genetic predispositions.

3. In order for a genetic disease or disorder to be removed from the gene pool, it would have to be a barrier to reproduction. Since many diseases do not affect people until after their prime reproductive age, they would not be prevented from passing on their genes.

4. Humans have largely removed ourselves from evolution because we are not subject to many of the barriers to survival that most other species are. For example, our ability to raise crops and live stock removes many of the evolutionary pressures that would have made hunter/gatherers more likely to survive.

Removing evolutionary pressures becomes even more pronounced as medical science expands. We are making it increasingly possible for even the weakest of our species to survive to reproductive age and to reproduce.

Surviving natural disasters is not really an evolutionary pressure because we are able to migrate when resources are depleted/destroyed. And the effects of most natural disasters do not hinder survival beyond the immediate/short-term future for survivors.

And then there is the simple fact that any real evolutionary change takes thousands of generations. Something that only affects a couple of generations will not have any real impact on the species - except for an immunity to some disease which wipes out a significant portion of the population.

Opportunity cost.

To make a human body immune from all those things would be the equivalent of turning it into a tank. How strong would a human being have to be to survive a hurricane or a tornado? Building a body that strong (if it is even possible) would cost a lot in terms of food, resources, etc. Humans like that would be out-bred by regular humans who could reproduce faster and live off less resources, which would prevent humans from evolving in that direction.

You've got to be kidding me... you do realize it takes thousands of years for a species to evolve correct? We as a species are living in a constantly changing environment and we are also changing the environment constantly. In a way, we are evolving as we are constantly developing new technologies to aid us in survival. We are finding ways to slow down cancers and even in some cases eradicating it completely same with disease. How in bloody hell are we suppose to survive every little environmental event. I mean honestly we can't evolve to survive famine as our bodies need energy to survive, all animals do. Are you expecting us to be able to somehow change the weather to suit our needs? Next time before asking a question, do some background research so you don't appear this dim witted.

Immune to tornadoes. That's a pretty stunning idea.

Yes, kid, we will eventually evolve to be immune to diseases if the species survives long enough. Think in the millions of years however, because just as we evolve, so do the diseases. As for the rest of it, there's no such thing as being 'immune' to having a car dropped on your head.

Evolution is a process that takes a very long time. As a species we wouldn't become immune to all the things you mentioned because humans haven't been around long enough to evolve so fast.

Typically evolution processes take thousands to millions of years to happen.

You don't seem to understand how evolution works, and I'm not going to spend paragraphs explaining it. The quick version is: Evolution is based on the survival of the fittest, which takes into account not only how good you are at adapting to your environment but ALSO how good you are at producing offspring. We are very good at both, even if we aren't perfect (nothing is, because the environment changes, for example, viruses are constantly evolving new strains we are no longer immune to).

The environment provides the pressure on survival. It is the genetics that decides how, or even whether, an organism can respond in a way that allows for survival. So, you are not only wrong about the mechanism(s) of evolution, but also wrong about what they can produce.

I'm sorry evolution doesn't work on demand for you. It takes millions of years to evolve. Also, all these viruses are evolving with us too. Also, how the hell are we supposed to be immune to natural disasters? Do you want us to evolve a force field?

Have you noticed that are pinkeys have been getting smaller and smaller throughout the last few hundred years? This shows that they are becoming obsolete and we are evolving to not need these. We cannot adapt to natural disasters because there are no such genes to even protect us from them. It is like asking why we can't block bullets with our skin yet.