Stephen Hawking is a world renowned theoretical physicist whose work on black holes in the universe and his discovery of “Hawking Radiation” whose ideas or observations have extended beyond theoretical physics. I first saw this on the Larry King show where he was interviewed.
Most people don’t know about it. It’s on the subject of human aggression. “According” to Hawking, aggression was imprinted on our DNA long ago; it helped fend off predators and led to survival and reproduction. Other tribes would also raid other tribes and subjugate and humiliate and kill the men and take the women.
According to Hawking, unless he has changed his position, human aggression is no longer adaptive in today’s environment. He thinks our aggressive instincts are our biggest challenge. Hawking has stated that we (the human species) can’t wait up for Darwinian evolution to make us better natured; we’ll have to use germline genetic engineering to tinker and modify aggression to the point that it doesn’t threaten the species with self extinction/self destruction. Of course, Hawking has stipulated that human beings won’t change much in one hundred years and probably long after that. He thinks, however, some scientist out there will eventually start genetically tinkering with human aggression.
Not many people are aware of this aspect of Hawking. He has stated such research may lead to a genetic dead end but if it eventually works it will be gradual and change the standard of what a human being is. One observer of this idea paints a “human society” that is sterile.
Of course, aggression is such a strong feature of us that it is hard to imagine a human being without it. Yet Stephen Hawking has the insight to. Also, most people would oppose such genetic engineering but it would be gradual; we won’t change overnight.
The world economy is not doing well; we’re in the sixth man-made extinction of mass species; there is global warming; the world is riddled with wars and conflicts; there is rising overpopulation; the list goes on. Without genetically modifying our behavior we are doomed to repeat our past “mistakes” anew with better technology and power.
MICHAEL RAGLAND
Triangle
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