Re: The mistake of agriculture (was: evolution and diet)

From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Thu May 22 2003 - 18:00:51 MDT

  • Next message: Emlyn O'regan: "RE: Experiences with Atkins diet"

    Jared Diamond:
    > "Archaeologists studying the rise of farming have reconstructed a crucial
    > stage at which we made the worst mistake in human history. Forced to choose
    > between limiting population or trying to increase food production, we chose
    > the latter and ended up with starvation, warfare, and tyranny."

    It also set us on the path towards culture, superhuman intelligence and
    the stars. While I am no fan of technological determinism, to some
    extent the "choice" of farming leads to a competitive situation of
    expanding population, brainpower and civilization that rewards expanding
    our ecological niche and likely transforming our species.

    -- 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
    asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
    GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
    


    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu May 22 2003 - 18:07:36 MDT