Mankind has Stopped Evolving?

[HotSoup]

Our favorite Michio Kaku describes the loosening of the evolutionary noose, detaching post-homo-generations from natural selection and pressure. Which occurs post-mating, apparently, engrossing the topic of genes into the mix. Is our future in the hands of genetic engineering, with the propelling of intelligence and gross consciousness, impossibilities once thought scientifically prevalent to advancement are proven redundant in the light of continuing revelations of invention. Planes, space travel, invisibility, are all obstacles currently being demolished by physicists. Is a new hope for mankind nestled in the confines of our minds, yet undiscovered, within the brains we use everyday, perhaps discussion may surface some concepts and notions we all can enjoy chasing. Like the dog and bone, can we fetch some phantasm of our future realities...

Here's Kakus short video which began this topic. Lets see where we run from here.

Since we are residing in the paranormal forum, are there any ideas out there. maybe some even sourced from UFOS and Alien intervention, etc.

 

[mike]

I could make the case that with Genetic engineering our potential for evolutionary change is greater than ever before.
That is bigger changes in shorter timespans are now possible.
Our environment is not static either, while its been stable for a while, it may change, perhaps rapidly.
And we may not stay in this environment either, if we colonise mars for example evolutionary change will take place.
There is that old SciFi standard of humans native to mars being taller due to the lessor gravity.
Evolution may have stabilised recently, due the the factors he cites, but stopped ?
Definately not

 

[exo_doc]

I thought I felt my genes come to a screeching halt.

 

[pixelsmith]

we will evolve more after the next ice age or astroid impact.

 

[trainedobserver]

we will evolve more after the next ice age or astroid impact.

The nuclear energy industry seems to be trying to get ahead of the next natural extinction event by sponsoring their own.

 

[pixelsmith]

The nuclear energy industry seems to be trying to get ahead of the next natural extinction event by sponsoring their own.

I doubt that the melt down of a few or even several reactors would wipe out the entire population.

 

[tyder001]

I doubt that the melt down of a few or even several reactors would wipe out the entire population.

Pixle your just kind of kidding right? I understand. You want to make your point and I think you do make some good points. But, this kind of head in the sand about a nuclear blast is just to get the goat of the folks your arguing with. right? Cause I don't know how much mankind contributes to global warming but I know we do. I don't know how many times the earth has undergone climate change but it is many,many times. Be that as it may I'm afraid I don't see China and Russia and the U.S. and Canada and Europe all sitting around singing campfire songs and coming up with a plan.

 

[pixelsmith]

no, i am not kidding. i seriously doubt even a dozen melt downs at the same time would wipe out the entire population.

 

[tyder001]

no, i am not kidding. i seriously doubt even a dozen melt downs at the same time would wipe out the entire population.

Oh I don't know that it would either. But, it'd sure make it a rough place to live in. Lots of three eyed two headed babies.

 

[mike]

If we get a solar induced EMP big enough, it could cause every reactor on the planet to meltdown, by means of stopping the coolant pumps and backups.
If that happens, i reckon the only place to be would be in a deep underground base.
If the inhabitants needed anything done on the surface, robots may not be an option, they may have to genetically engineer bioforms to do the task, Perhaps give them the same genes cockroachs use to avoid radiation damage.

 

[softbeard]

If we get a solar induced EMP big enough, it could cause every reactor on the planet to meltdown, by means of stopping the coolant pumps and backups.
If that happens, i reckon the only place to be would be in a deep underground base.
If the inhabitants needed anything done on the surface, robots may not be an option, they may have to genetically engineer bioforms to do the task, Perhaps give them the same genes cockroachs use to avoid radiation damage.

I don't think it works that way, Mike. Seriously.
And ~Pixlepixie is right too. A few nuclear meltdowns aren't going to make us (mankind) go away either. It really is not that big of a deal.

 

[mike]

I don't think it works that way, Mike. Seriously.

Yeah it does

The primary coolant pump of a nuclear reactor, which is usually driven electrically

http://www.patents.com/us-4036561.html

A new study from the National Academy of Sciences outlines grim possibilities on Earth for a worst-case scenario solar storm.
Damage to power grids and other communications systems could be catastrophic, the scientists conclude, with effects leading to a potential loss of governmental control of the situation.
The prediction is based in part on a major solar storm in 1859 that caused telegraph wires to short out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires.
It was perhaps the worst in the past 200 years, according to the new study, and with the advent of modern power grids and satellites, much more is at risk.
"A contemporary repetition of the [1859] event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic disruptions," the researchers conclude.
• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Space Center.
'Command and control might be lost
When the sun is in the active phase of its 11-year cycle, it can unleash powerful magnetic storms that disable satellites, threaten astronaut safety, and even disrupt communication systems on Earth.
The worst storms can knock out power grids by inducing currents that melt transformers.
Modern power grids are so interconnected that a big space storm — the type expected to occur about once a century — could cause a cascade of failures that would sweep across the United States, cutting power to 130 million people or more in this country alone, the new report concludes.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478024,00.html

Most reactors have a set of diesel powered electrcity generators to provide electricity to run the coolant pumps, but if they are knocked out by a massive EMP....... no coolant pumps = meltdown

In 1859 it was only telegraph wires that shorted out, today it would bring down the grid, possibly on a planet wide scale.

The next peak cycle of sunspot activity is predicted for 2012-2014, bringing with it a greater risk of large geomagnetic storms that can generate powerful rogue currents in transmission lines, potentially damaging or destroying the large transformers that manage power flow over high-voltage networks.
"Geomagnetically-induced currents on system infrastructure have the potential to result in widespread tripping of key transmission lines and irreversible physical damage to large transformers," a 2009 report by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) and the Energy Department says.

Agreement on the seriousness of the threat, but not the solution
In the worst-case scenario, the stockpile of spare transformers would fall far short of replacement needs. Urban centers across the continent would be without power for many months or even years, until new transformers could be manufactured and delivered from Asia. The transformers are not made in the United States.
"If the solar storm of 1921, which has been termed a one-in-100-year event, were to occur today, well over 300 extra-high-voltage transformers could be damaged or destroyed, thereby interrupting power to 130 million people for a period of years," Joseph McClelland, director of the Office of Electric Reliability at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said at a May 31 House Energy subcommittee hearing on the issue.
"The U.S. society and economy are so critically dependent upon the availability of electricity that a significant collapse of the grid precipitated by a major natural or man-made EMP [electro-magnetic pulse] event could result in catastrophic civilian casualties,"

---------- Post added at 04:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/60116

Experts: Move to protect nuke plants from solar flare

They filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission earlier this month addressing a dire concern: If the spent fuel rod pools at the country's 104 nuclear power plants lose their connection to the power grid, they believe current regulations aren't sufficient to guarantee those pools won't boil over, exposing the hot, zirconium-clad rods and sparking fires that would release deadly radiation.Their solution is a relatively inexpensive, $152,800-per-plant arrangement to keep the coolant pools operating unattended in the wake of such an event are damaged

In addition to the NRC review of the threat of solar flares on spent fuel pool operations, Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., introduced a bill earlier this month to give the president authority to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take emergency measures "to protect the reliability of the bulk-power system" against the threat of "any reasonably foreseeable geomagnetic storm or electromagnetic pulse event."

No one talks about the effect it could have on the world's nuclear generating plants. Can nuclear power plants maintain the electrical power they need to cool the reactors if the electrical grid and backup generators fail? It's never been tested!

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions as well as severe drought (reduction of fresh water supplies), can all pose severe risks. Potentially destroying the systems needed to cool the nuclear reactors and prevent meltdown.

http://earthchamber11.blogspot.com/2011/03/nuclear-industrys-solar-tsunami-threat.html

 

[softbeard]

Most reactors have a set of diesel powered electrcity generators to provide electricity to run the coolant pumps, but if they are knocked out by a massive EMP....... no coolant pumps = meltdown

Exactly. These have diesel powered backups. Why would these diesel generators be affected by EMP? EMP, at worst, only affects unshielded circuit boards, not hardware like generators & motors. We're not talking the sun going nova here (in which case it wouldn't really matter for us anyways). Mike, there are other ways to power pumps even if electricity is unavailable. And, at worst, you have a meltdown. Well, so what? If properly designed for as a worst case scenario & contained, the amounts of radioactive isotope leakage produce effects that are not that catastrophic. It certainly is no doomsday scenario.

 

[mike]

The (nearly direct) currents induced in these lines from geomagnetic storms are harmful to electrical transmission equipment, especially generators and transformers — induces core saturation, constraining their performance (as well as tripping various safety devices), and causes coils and cores to heat up. This heat can disable or destroy them,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_storm

But its not just damage to the diesel generators, computers, sensors and control systems are also affected.
In addition the chaos that might ensue such an event may affect the transport of the diesel fuel itself. Roads clogged with vehicles that wont start because the engine management systems have been fried by EMP.
IMO the plants should have good old fashioned coal fired steam engines to pump water at the very least.

At the end of the day geomagnetic storms are harmful to electrical transmission equipment including generators, the reactors rely on electricty to run the coolant pumps, and the sensors and control systems.

The diesel engines might run, but the generators could get fried

The Soviet Union conducted an atmospheric test of an EMP weapon in 1962 over Kazakhstan whose pulse wave set on fire a power station 300 kilometers away and destroyed it within 10 seconds.



Read more on Newsmax.com: North Korea Tests 'Super-EMP' Nuke

 

[softbeard]

IMO the plants should have good old fashioned coal fired steam engines to pump water at the very least.

I agree they should have steam-turbine pumps as a last-ditch backup. The steam could be raised from the heat of the nuclear pile itself; which, of course, keeps on generating large quantities of heat for months after reactor shut-down. If that's not practical, as you say, raise the steam from coal, oil, gas. I suspect it's not all as simple as I'm making it sound, but I have really no idea why the designers at Fukushima did not implement such last-ditch backups.
Whats more, I understand there are far better and safer thorium-based reactor designs available. But with all the hysteria about nuclear energy these days I suspect, instead, ~Pixelpixie will get his wish and we'll wind up just burning lots more carbon.

 

[NTS]

I remember an article from decades ago saying that the two main groups who were against safe nuclear power were anti-nuclear activists -- and the nuclear power industry. The first oppose nuclear power because they don't think it can ever be safe. The second does because they don't want to spend the billions it would take to replace current reactors with safe ones.

 

[softbeard]

Regarding nuclear energy; I just think it's hysteria ruling over science. I'm afraid hysteria is the clear winner and we're all going to pay for it.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Regarding nuclear energy; I just think it's hysteria ruling over science. I'm afraid hysteria is the clear winner and we're all going to pay for it.

What happened in Japan is not hysteria. If there are going to be more nuclear plants, the builders have lessons to learn. But it doesn't seem they realized the potential for disaster till after the fact, as usual.

 

[Slim Shady]

Looks Japan has decided to stop selling toyota and start selling cancer to the world

I was told today that atleast 15 million people in the northern hemisphere will die from cancers because of this incident over the next 20 years that could have lived long healthy lives by a mate of mine who used work in sellafield

I know here in ireland 3 local farmers have been forced to stop breeding cows for milk because they've failed a test which picked up traces of plutonium which where above the limit in there land.

rip japan i'll miss your sushi =(

 

[softbeard]

Gene, I was not talking about Japan in particular. But yes, IMHO, hysteria is ruling over science for nuclear power plant designs and planing. People fear what they don't understand, and the insidous nature of potential radiation poisoning is definitely a very amplified fear in people. Real damage from radiation is very difficult to accurately ascertain. This is why it is such an amplified concern for people.
Nevertheless, thus far, there has been far more emotional damage from radiation than actual physical casualties. It is easy to forget the tens of millions that die each year from horrible diseases, malnutrition, etc. because it is happening all of the time. The spectre of radiation poisoning and birth deformities is comparatively very rare. Thus radiation stands out.
How many people have died quiet, horrible deaths from cigarette smoking, black lung in coal miners, asbestosis from working in the asbestos industry. Need I go on? The point is, without putting things into perspective using hard facts and statistics, we wind up often with hystrical viewpoints.