Selfish traits not favoured by evolution

Rip Cord
By Rip Cord

An important lesson for us all here, those that try to divide us by religion, race or nation state need a lesson from evolution. We are all Africans and once we evolved into Homo sapiens we would never have been able to leave Africa in the first place without cooperation and start our journey to colonise the world.

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Humans and animals could not evolve in a co-operative environment by being selfish, scientists say

Evolution does not favour selfish people, according to new research.

This challenges a previous theory which suggested it was preferable to put yourself first.

Instead, it pays to be co-operative, shown in a model of "the prisoner's dilemma", a scenario of game theory - the study of strategic decision-making.

Published in Nature Communications, the team says their work shows that exhibiting only selfish traits would have made us go extinct.

Game theory involves devising "games" to simulate situations of conflict or co-operation. It allows researchers to unravel complex decision-making strategies and to establish why certain types of behaviour among individuals

It's almost like what we had in the cold war, an arms race - but these arms races occur all the time in evolutionary biology”

A team from Michigan State University, US, used a model of the prisoner's dilemma game, where two suspects who are interrogated in separate prison cells must decide whether or not to inform on each other.

In the model, each person is offered a deal for freedom if they inform on the other, putting their opponent in jail for six months. However, this scenario will only be played out if the opponent chooses not to inform.

If both "prisoners" choose to inform (defection) they will both get three months in prison, but if they both stay silent (co-operation) they will both only get a jail term of one month.

The eminent mathematician John Nash showed that the optimum strategy was not to co-operate in the prisoner's dilemma game.

Co-operating is key for evolution
"For many years, people have asked that if he [Nash] is right, then why do we see co-operation in the animal kingdom, in the microbial world and in humans," said lead author Christoph Adami of Michigan State University.

By Rip Cord• 4 Aug 2013 11:41
Rip Cord

I do understand your problems relating to the evolutionary process as the basic theory is easy to understand but the actual mechanisms can be quite complex.

However this may help you understand better

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/evolution/

By Rip Cord• 4 Aug 2013 11:38
Rip Cord

Remember it is your right to be offended by what I say but you do not have the right to never be offended. You have the choice not to read or ignore my comments as well. No one is forcing you.

By mast kalandar• 4 Aug 2013 11:24
mast kalandar

Darwins theory is totally false

By Super Cool• 4 Aug 2013 11:14
Super Cool

Funny...cuz it's officially still recognized as Darwin's "THEORY"…I repeat Darwin’s THEORY…to this date!!!! Some of u Darwinians r not killing, true…but ur certainly always on the attack…belittling and enticing others’ emotions with no right...instigators!!! A quick look at ur comments is a prime example.

Guess what…congratulations…now u and fundamentals have at least one thing in common…ur both trying to shove ur garbage down ppl’s throats

By Rip Cord• 4 Aug 2013 11:06
Rip Cord

Supercool it is fine to have your own opinion, but you can't have your own facts. Darwinian evolution is a fact, the same as gravity.

However you are free to believe what you want, no fundamentalist scientists will come and kill you for being a blasphemer.

By Super Cool• 4 Aug 2013 09:30
Super Cool

@Rip Cord

Although I do believe in some form of evolutionary science or some physical changes due to evolution,,,maybe not the extent believed by u...but I still have to admit/accept that it is for all science purposes still (((officially))) recognized as a "THEORY" and not a fact...one recount as to what might have happened...so dont try to force others to take what u say for face value and just follow...cuz thats ur biggest issue on this forum...for some reason u always try to do that.

By landloverreview• 3 Aug 2013 13:49
landloverreview

There is no process without a start unless you like to skip. Anyway I wish they altogether write a proper book with all the evidences by filling the not all but at least the important gaps. So far what we have is more excuses and less evidences.

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 13:37
Rip Cord

A popular misconception. Evolution describes how life evolves into different forms and describes the process, that is not in doubt. How life started is something completely different. Don't worry a common mistake. The same as others saying humans evolved from monkeys, we didn't.

By landloverreview• 3 Aug 2013 13:29
landloverreview

Yes. As long as I know I think one cant expect a complete book with the title, Why Evolution is True to contain the convincing proof for the theory of evolution. It is very disappointing. What they really have is a whole lot of excuses to fill the GAP.

The more you read biology, the more this goes into crisis as one has not yet proved anything how the first living molecule emerged from the dead matter.

There are important gaps you guys need to fill in species as well before thinking about dead matter to species.

Though majority of scientists have accepted it as true but still not convincing as its kinda same like Newtonian physics which was unshakable until Einstein disproved it.

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 13:20
Rip Cord

Since the earth is 4 billion years old and we have only been studying fossils for approx 200 years there is more to discover. That is the beauty of it.

Our knowledge is quite astounding now from where we started and we add to it every year. However finding a fossil is just the start, it then takes years of study to learn useful information.

By landloverreview• 3 Aug 2013 12:59
landloverreview

"Despite the tremendous increase in geological activity in every corner of the globe and despite the discovery of many strange and hitherto unknown forms, the infinitude of connecting links has still not been discovered and the fossil record is about as discontinuous as it was when Darwin was writing the Origin."

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:48
Rip Cord

Evolution is proved beyond all reasonable doubt, what needs to happen is we need to refine our ideas on how and why it takes place.

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:47
Rip Cord

What aout transitional forms and nested heiracrhies?

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:46
Rip Cord

How about evidence from embryology and artificial selection?

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:45
Rip Cord

What about anatomical and molecular vestiges?

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:44
Rip Cord

.

By landloverreview• 3 Aug 2013 12:34
landloverreview

http://www.livescience.com/38613-genetic-adam-and-eve-uncovered.html

The proof you are talking about is keep on changing.Still it is theory not a fact or Law of evolution. Dont exaggerate as exaggeration while explaining a theory would not make it a fact.

If you have read the science journals , last week they were talking about "New Physical Laws" which will again change the whole scientific explanations so far we have.

By Rip Cord• 3 Aug 2013 12:20
Rating: 4/5
Rip Cord

Jade there is one major hole in the Koran. If you insist in saying it is the literal word of God, then the book must be false. It means if you accept the story of Adam and Eve then you are going against evolution which is proved. Both cannot exist and be equally true, therefore the holy books that state that as an absolute fact are wrong.

Stacey the good thing about science if you do not believe someone's conclusion you are free to repeat the experiments yourself. Maybe you will show a different result and that is fine. Science accepts all the time the overturning of previous findings and theories. It is not a cult like religion which makes it a crime to question any of the basics.

By jade03• 3 Aug 2013 12:16
jade03

In quran, allah along with the prophet has taken oath of all the books (Chapter 2 starts with this oath) including Torah, Bible, Vedas, etc. and on all the messages of prophets in complete (124K). And Quran has addressed much of its contents to Jews than to others.

By Knight Returns• 3 Aug 2013 10:00
Knight Returns

jade03, I would like you to read Torah, the original holy book of jews and then compare how much of its philosophies are adopted in the Holy Quran. You will find more similarities in the two than you expect.

By jade03• 3 Aug 2013 08:29
jade03

All of you "Read Quran" this is the one book that has kept all intellectuals, the very intelligent ones, the clever ones, scientists, philosophers, the mighty politicians, etc guessing with its messages which is truly from god/allah. Every word is a research and to no other book is taken so seriously in the world as Quran. For all of you it will take a life time to believe understand and pronounce it true and correct. We are born a man and leave a man, if we practice on - its humanity; this how we are born and supposed to believe in it.

By StaceyR• 3 Aug 2013 07:37
StaceyR

I called this Article, Bollocks!

Why should I believe a supposed evidence of science proved and written by another human being? Humans are the least type of animals I should believe too.

Scientific evidence, so you called, is as dubious as it is with people claiming that there is a God. Scientific evidence is mainly a result of someone's experiment against a controlled environment of what he personally believed as a predictable pattern or behavior.

All I see are scientists rehashing of what other researchers had done with slight deviation of one extra molecule or two... Most are just following their predecessors like a religious cult leader.

By gene_lv• 3 Aug 2013 04:41
gene_lv

There is no equality in nature. This is why we are made of different religion, color and race.

Man is by nature good and it is only his environment that makes him bad.

Man gives unselfishly while others give with ulterior motive.

By Rip Cord• 2 Aug 2013 18:41
Rip Cord

Errrrr? My tone on the Iftar thread was the same. Some wanted to kick non Muslims out of Iftar tents whereas I was saying all humans should be welcome regardless of religion or nationality.

Don't be selfish!

By manikantverma• 2 Aug 2013 18:12
Rating: 3/5
manikantverma

The Blog/Article is valuable in all sense ... the only part is not up to mark in this forum thread that Rip Cord is posting such topics and writing such unusual thing to his standard, because the Rip Cord I know, you may also refer Iftar tent issue forum blog posted earlier here and few other threads .., is completely biased and carrying enormous hatred in his heart for a particular community and country as if he is only one who evolved out of best of world. And suddenlyy his tone got changed here, I don't know really, whether he stands for his opinion and thoughts or just for the heck of engaging himself keep on posting many replies like a sociall-media-worm of today's.

By Knight Returns• 2 Aug 2013 17:55
Rating: 5/5
Knight Returns

We notice species where the male marks a territory for his females & food and also fights to finish all other weaker males in his area, are actually depleting in number.

In many conserved forests, the tiger population is gradually decreasing because, first, the males are fighting for territory and second, the winner mostly kills the cubs of the other male tigers.

You name any such species and you will find them gradually depleting in number.

By Rip Cord• 2 Aug 2013 17:35
Rip Cord

Lets just stick to the evidence

By .sun26872• 2 Aug 2013 17:21
.sun26872

For me, God is the one who created everything and is Universal, omnipresent and almighty.

By Rip Cord• 2 Aug 2013 17:05
Rip Cord

Which god are you referring to? Horus? Zeus? Thor?

By .sun26872• 2 Aug 2013 16:59
.sun26872

If that is all true, then God must have created selfishness for some good reason like a tool to bring in destruction of a certain species, so that new ones could evolve. Guess human species has already become stale.....time for change now.

By Rip Cord• 2 Aug 2013 16:00
Rip Cord

For the full article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23529849

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