Mutations and Magic

Dan McEwen <dannyboymcny.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c369po$22tul7$4@ID-177615.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> blakgard.DeleteThis@aol.comix.net (BlakGard) wrote in
> news:20040315140910.10197.00001477@mb-m03.aol.com:
>
> > Dan McEwen wrote:
> >>> What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off
> >>> in the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf
> >>> Universe, how did this affect Mutants in that reality?
> >>
> >> It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
> >> mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
> >> understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical
> >> aspects.)
> >
> > I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
> > telekinesis?
>
> I always thought there was some suggestion that being physically fit
> enhanced the mind, and thus the use of powers (except, I suppose, in the
> case of someone like the Blob). If this is true, it should mean that
> humans could be even stronger by staying in shape. ("Sound body, sound
> mind", or something like that.)

But I think the sound body/sound mind issue is only the case when the
brain is so heavily integrated into the overall body. I think there is
an assumption that the hightly evolved brain is not only more
powerful, but is also much more efficient, requiring less
bloodflow/oxygen, and thus is affected less by the overall health of
the body.

Perhaps not a valid assumption...
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

BlakGard wrote:
> Dan McEwen wrote:
>
>>>What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off in
>>>the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf Universe, how
>>>did this affect Mutants in that reality?
>>
>>It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
>>mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
>>understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical aspects.)
>
>
> I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
> telekinesis?

Why do people with physically undemanding desk jobs engage in physical
exercise now?

Ciao,

Terrafamilia
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

gls3609479.RemoveThis@yahoo.com (Glenn Simpson) wrote in
news:1287ea8f.0403160803.189cd338@posting.google.com:

> Dan McEwen <dannyboymcny.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<c369po$22tul7$4@ID-177615.news.uni-berlin.de>...

>> I always thought there was some suggestion that being physically fit
>> enhanced the mind, and thus the use of powers (except, I suppose, in
>> the case of someone like the Blob). If this is true, it should mean
>> that humans could be even stronger by staying in shape. ("Sound
>> body, sound mind", or something like that.)
>
> But I think the sound body/sound mind issue is only the case when the
> brain is so heavily integrated into the overall body. I think there is
> an assumption that the hightly evolved brain is not only more
> powerful, but is also much more efficient, requiring less
> bloodflow/oxygen, and thus is affected less by the overall health of
> the body.

Why would an efficient brain lead to an inefficient body? Also, why
would a more efficient brain be larger? If we look at computers, we see
that as they have become more complex and sophisticated, they've also
become smaller. Why the difference with the brain? (Especially a brain
that can possibly manipulate matter at a sub-atomic level.)
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

Terrafamilia wrote:
>>>> What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off in
>>>> the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf Universe, how
>>>> did this affect Mutants in that reality?
>>>
>>> It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
>>> mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
>>> understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical aspects.)
>>
>> I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
>> telekinesis?
>
> Why do people with physically undemanding desk jobs engage in physical
> exercise now?

Most do not. Besides, it's not the same thing, especially if we're talking
about
an evolutionary process that omits the need for physical activity. We've
already
seen evidence that humans have become less physically robust than they
were millennia ago, because they depended more and more on mental feats.

-=[ The BlakGard ]=-
"Somewhere there's danger;
somewhere there's injustice,
and somewhere else the tea is getting cold!"
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

"Terrafamilia" <terrafamilia.DeleteThis@irtc.net> wrote in message
news:KCE5c.2020$_Q5.674@fe07.usenetserver.com...
>
>
> BlakGard wrote:
> > Dan McEwen wrote:
> >
> >>>What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off in
> >>>the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf Universe, how
> >>>did this affect Mutants in that reality?
> >>
> >>It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
> >>mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
> >>understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical aspects.)
> >
> >
> > I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
> > telekinesis?
>
> Why do people with physically undemanding desk jobs engage in physical
> exercise now?

I didn't know they did.
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

blakgard RemoveThis @aol.comix.net (BlakGard) wrote in
news:20040316200410.10127.00001616@mb-m03.aol.com:

> Dan McEwen wrote:

>> Also, why would a more efficient brain be larger? If we look at
>> computers, we see that as they have become more complex and
>> sophisticated, they've also become smaller. Why the difference with
>> the brain? (Especially a brain that can possibly manipulate matter at
>> a sub-atomic level.)
>
> The way brains store information is nothing like the way computers
> store information. Frankly, modern science doesn't understand enough
> about how brains work, but size does typically relate to complexity
> among similar lifeforms.

In reality, I understand that; I was referring to the fact that in
comics the people can potentially "slim down" their brain matter through
high-level TK the same way we really slim down computers through
technology. (If Sersi can turn people into pigs, I don't see a problem
here.)
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

BlakGard wrote:
> Terrafamilia wrote:
>
>>>>>What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off in
>>>>>the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf Universe, how
>>>>>did this affect Mutants in that reality?
>>>>
>>>>It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
>>>>mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
>>>>understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical aspects.)
>>>
>>>I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
>>>telekinesis?
>>
>>Why do people with physically undemanding desk jobs engage in physical
>>exercise now?
>
>
> Most do not. Besides, it's not the same thing, especially if we're talking
> about
> an evolutionary process that omits the need for physical activity. We've
> already
> seen evidence that humans have become less physically robust than they
> were millennia ago, because they depended more and more on mental feats.

Is that nature or nurture? Would a representative group of newborns from
5000 BC transported to the present and reared alongside this era's kids
be demonstrably more physically robust (and perhaps not as smart) all
other things being equal?

Ciao,

Terrafamilia
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic 

Terrafamilia wrote:
>>>>>> What about the effects of the Evolutionary bomb that didn't go off in
>>>>>> the regular Marvel Universe but did go off in the WhatIf Universe, how
>>>>>> did this affect Mutants in that reality?
>>>>>
>>>>> It just led to all of humanity (mutants included) evolving into
>>>>> mentally-heightened and physically-depleted people. (Me, I never
>>>>> understood why you couldn't have both the mental and physical aspects.)
>>>>
>>>> I agree, but then, why do phsyical exercise when you can just use
>>>> telekinesis?
>>>
>>> Why do people with physically undemanding desk jobs engage in physical
>>> exercise now?
>>
>> Most do not. Besides, it's not the same thing, especially if we're talking
>> about an evolutionary process that omits the need for physical activity.
>> We've already seen evidence that humans have become less physically
>> robust than they were millennia ago, because they depended more and
>> more on mental feats.
>
> Is that nature or nurture? Would a representative group of newborns from
> 5000 BC transported to the present and reared alongside this era's kids
> be demonstrably more physically robust (and perhaps not as smart) all
> other things being equal?

I don't think 7000 years is enough to see much of a difference. I meant further
back. You won't see much difference between the brains of people today and
people 7000 years ago either. If evolution continues on it previous path and
"our" brains were further enhanced, I'd expect a decrease in physical
robustness.
__
-=[ The BlakGard ]=-
"Somewhere there's danger;
somewhere there's injustice,
and somewhere else the tea is getting cold!"
 >> Stay informed about: Mutations and Magic