Do you let your kids use mobiles(cell phones)?

[StevieB]

Actually, you are talking about natural selection rather than evolution. Evolution is simply a change in gene frequency in a population, it is natural selection which determines whether that change is harmful or beneficial and thus enables an organism to survive to produce off spring or die before it gets the chance.

Ray is absolutely correct - the flower did not evolve to look like the wasp, rather an earlier ancestor of the flower looked sufficiently like a female wasp that males visited it more frequently thus increasing pollination among flowers of that shape and hence their eventual survival. That is natural selection. We are all evolving generation by generation but natural selection has ceased to have much of an impact at least in the developed world due to advances in medicine.

The problem with the fossil record is that so much of it is missing, leading to guesswork and 'glossing over' the bits we dont know. The BBC series 'Walking with dinosaurs' was immensely popular but almost entirely conjecture. We cannot even agree whether T Rex was a fearsome predator or a scavenger yet, or whether dinosaurs were warm or cold blooded. We probably never will be able to, so opinion and the latest research (ie well argued theory) continually causes debate.

Regarding the phones and water, water in the body is not static - it diffuses both passively and actively round the body and as such is not typically in one place for long. Heating it takes more energy than you think - most of your metabolism is spent keeping you warm. A corn kernal is a wee bit smaller and therefore easier to heat!

Steve.

 

[davegw]

The process of evolution happens to thing that survives (by definition), not the things that died - so the flower evolves?

Agreed, but the spin put on the story by D.A. was that the flower "evolved" to look like the wasp in order to survive, which could not have been the case.

Ray.

Ray

Sorry mate but you seem to have basic misunderstanding of what evolution is. Can I suggest you read some of Dr Dawkins books http://richarddawkins.net/?

The Flower evolved to look like was by a process of natural selection, most likely meaning that the wasp selected the flower that looked most like it's female to visit for food, and as a by product then pollenated other flowers, passing on it's genetic code and making it more likely for it's prodgeny to look like the wasp, along with some random mis coding of the flowers DNA that sometimes will make prodgeny look more like the wasp and sometimes less. This all happens to the Flower, not anything else in the vicinty of the flower, and therefore the flower evolved to look like the wasp, which ensured it's survival.


Dave

 

[davegw]

Actually, you are talking about natural selection rather than evolution. Evolution is simply a change in gene frequency in a population, it is natural selection which determines whether that change is harmful or beneficial and thus enables an organism to survive to produce off spring or die before it gets the chance.

Ray is absolutely correct - the flower did not evolve to look like the wasp, rather an earlier ancestor of the flower looked sufficiently like a female wasp that males visited it more frequently thus increasing pollination among flowers of that shape and hence their eventual survival. That is natural selection. We are all evolving generation by generation but natural selection has ceased to have much of an impact at least in the developed world due to advances in medicine.

The problem with the fossil record is that so much of it is missing, leading to guesswork and 'glossing over' the bits we dont know. The BBC series 'Walking with dinosaurs' was immensely popular but almost entirely conjecture. We cannot even agree whether T Rex was a fearsome predator or a scavenger yet, or whether dinosaurs were warm or cold blooded. We probably never will be able to, so opinion and the latest research (ie well argued theory) continually causes debate.

Steve.

Steve

You are obviously a bit more articulate than me - this is what I was trying to explain, but I didn't make a difference between natural selection and evolution, because at a general level of education they are essentially the same thing. I certainly wouldn't describe DA as wrong in his description, I might have chosen to tell him off for dumbing down the explanation.

your statement that natural selection has ceased is, possibly, true for Humans (there are those that would argue against it) but not for any other organism on the planet.

As you say Genetic mutations still occur, almost certainly with the same frequency as they have in the past.

Dave

 

[MatthewRedStars]

your statement that natural selection has ceased is, possibly, true for Humans (there are those that would argue against it) but not for any other organism on the planet.

Humans are certainly still evolving. Until no child dies before breeding age and people have *** at random ignoring attraction to certain traits then evolution carries on... admittedly alot slower than if we were under more stringent selection pressure.

 

[tnimble]

We are all evolving generation by generation but natural selection has ceased to have much of an impact at least in the developed world due to advances in medicine.

The process is slowed down at most. The effects of macro mutations are fairly controlled by medicine. Either through applied drugs, correcting operations or by abortion. Micro mutations however on their own are not detectable only a set of mutations are. You can see them as slight differences between people spnning a magnitude of many generations.

 

[Argee]

Sorry mate but you seem to have basic misunderstanding of what evolution is.

I didn't make a difference between natural selection and evolution, because at a general level of education they are essentially the same thing.

Thanks for taking the art of patronising to a whole new level.

The point of my post was that of - as stated - popular myth and sweeping generalisations, as were being applied to the ridiculous mobile advertising scam subject of the thread. My example was of a respected broadcaster guilty of misleading.

Regarding suggested reading, perhaps I might suggest the dictionary definition of "pedant." EOC

Ray.

 

[davegw]

Sorry mate but you seem to have basic misunderstanding of what evolution is.

I didn't make a difference between natural selection and evolution, because at a general level of education they are essentially the same thing.

Thanks for taking the art of patronising to a whole new level.

The point of my post was that of - as stated - popular myth and sweeping generalisations, as were being applied to the ridiculous mobile advertising scam subject of the thread. My example was of a respected broadcaster guilty of misleading.

Regarding suggested reading, perhaps I might suggest the dictionary definition of "pedant." EOC

Ray.

I'm sorry that you found my reply pedantic and patronising, that certainly wasn't my intention.

I agreed (as I said) with your original point regarding popular myth and generalisations

My point was that you were wrongly accusing a respected broadcaster of misleading the public, something I feel very strongly about, especially when there are so many good examples of broadcasters (respected and otherwise) doing it.

Then I (obviously) misread your explanation and for that, again, I apologise.

As I said in my Post to Steve, i'm obviously not as articulate as some, and for my lack of education I must blame my 1970's comprehensive education

I'm afriad I don't know what EOC means, maybe you can enlighten me?


Again Ray, I really didn't mean to cause offence.

Dave

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Kids don't talk on cell phones anymore. They send text messages. Worry about their thumbs!

:roll:

:lol:

 

[woodbloke]

Kids don't talk on cell phones anymore. They send text messages. Worry about their thumbs!

:roll:

:lol:

A few years ago my daughter sat down to an evening meal at the dining table. A hot meal was in front of her and she started to click away on her bloody mobile...she stopped very rapidly :evil: :evil: and hasn't done it since - Rob

 

[TrimTheKing]

The point of my post was that of - as stated - popular myth and sweeping generalisations, as were being applied to the ridiculous mobile advertising scam subject of the thread.

Sorry Ray, I didn't realise you had a personal vested interest in this matter :wink:

All I know is that if I use my mobile, next to my ear, for more than about 5 mins then my ear is bright red and can on occasion start to ache a little. The same does not happen when I use my corded or DECT phone at home even if I am on the phone for an hour or more (which I regularly am when on conference calls for work).

I am happy to concede that I am by no means an expert on the technologies, but I have heard enough 'experts' admit that they are 'not certain' on the possible effects, and my own experiences tell me that something aint quite right.

Regarding Dave's thumbs comment, that is spot on. I got a BlackBerry a couple of years ago through work, and as with all new toys played with it way too much. After a week I got what I can only describe as some kind of RSI in my thumb from using the scroll wheel and had to completely change the way I used it. Thumb took a good 6 months before the constant ache went away!

Anyway, I am now suitably embarrassed by falling for the hoax without checking it out first, and by knowing nothing about the molbile world, so I am going to gracefully bow out of this discussion with what remains of my dignity

Take care

Cheers

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

So......

Can I use my Mobile or will it fry my brain?


:wink:

 

[TrimTheKing]

I haven't got a clue any more. I have started carrying round a couple of yoghurt pots and a long ball of string just in case.... :lol:

Mark

 

[SketchUp Guru]

So......

Can I use my Mobile or will it fry my brain?


:wink:

Yes.

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't got a clue any more. I have started carrying round a couple of yoghurt pots and a long ball of string just in case.... :lol:

Mark

I've got some Baked Bean tins, will they do? Should I empty them first? What sort of string? :?

So......

Can I use my Mobile or will it fry my brain?


:wink:

Yes.

Conclusive if ever there was. :lol:

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Bean tins will work. They're more durable, too.

String? I like monofilament fishing line but you have to pull it tight.

Of course there are hazards with that as well. If the string is tight enough for good reception and the person you're talking to hangs up, you might get whacked in the side of the head with their tin.

 

[davegw]

I've got some Baked Bean tins, will they do? Should I empty them first? What sort of string? :?

Whichever tins you use please realise you will have to pay a surcharge to use them abroad.

Also when abroad you will have to use some one elses string, which will be cut and random intervals forcing you to find more string, probably at a higher cost

You may also find that your bean tin and string arrangement is not compatible with the local string and bean tin arrangement and as such you will be obliged to purchase a new set of tins and strings (that of course won't work in your home country)

 

[davegw]

Bean tins will work. They're more durable, too.

String? I like monofilament fishing line but you have to pull it tight.

Of course there are hazards with that as well. If the string is tight enough for good reception and the person you're talking to hangs up, you might get whacked in the side of the head with their tin.

Whacks in the side of the head are now guarenteed with the new SCN* modifcation to the phone operating system - this of course will incur a charge is applied overseas

*signal cessation notification

 

[SketchUp Guru]

:lol: :lol:

Ain't technology great?

 

[TrimTheKing]

I've got some Baked Bean tins, will they do? Should I empty them first? What sort of string? :?

Bean tins will be fine, but as you say, must be thoroughly washed out to avoid interference.

In my extensive testing I have found guitar strings to offer the best SNR*, unless of course somebody is plucking them at the time, then they have a tendencey to create tonal background noise.

Cheers

Mark

*Signal to Noise Ratio

 

[Racers]

My wife made me beans on toast last night, it took ages to clean out the toaster :wink:

Pete