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A bit of a weird question: Can modern medicine be a threat to humanity long-term by greatly reducing effects of natural selection? (lemmy.sdf.org)

submitted 5 months ago by user224@lemmy.sdf.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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OK, I hope my question doesn't get misunderstood, I can see how that could happen.
Just a product of overthinking.

Idea is that we can live fairly easily even with some diseases/disorders which could be-life threatening. Many of these are hereditary.
Since modern medicine increases our survival capabilities, the "weaker" individuals can also survive and have offsprings that could potentially inherit these weaknesses, and as this continues it could perhaps leave nearly all people suffering from such conditions further into future.

Does that sound like a realistic scenario? (Assuming we don't destroy ourselves along with the environment first...)

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[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social 17 points 5 months ago

It would be if we suddenly didn't have access to modern medicine for some reason. Like say a city under seige with power cut iff to hospitals

[+] someguy3@lemmy.ca -10 points 5 months ago

A threat to a handful of women who happen to be pregnant. Not to humanity as a whole.

[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social 8 points 5 months ago

A very cavalier take until it's your wife/sister/friend that dies because she cant get to a maternity ward in time. As it stands, humanity will carry on if society were to collapse next week. But if we cant safely deliver babies without modern medicine, we are in aerious trouble.

[-] Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 months ago

But that's not what OP asked / wanted to dicuss? The person you're attacking simply answered the original question:

"would it be a danger to the whole of humanity or our evolutionary progress?"

While I think the data alignes with your observation and your interpretation of the risks are on point it deviates from the point the person you answered to.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca -2 points 5 months ago

humanity /hyoo͞-măn′ĭ-tē/ noun

Humans considered as a group; the human race.

Humanity is not individuals. It's humanity as a whole.

[-] jet@hackertalks.com 7 points 5 months ago

A threat to humans to live without access to medicine which makes humanity more fragile and less adaptable.

this post was submitted on 18 May 2024

154 points (86.7% liked)

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