How are we going to really get rid of the grip of this virus? How are we going to get well? How can we even survive? Well the most important of all statements about survival came out when Darwin wrote the “ The Origin of Species ”.
It started out as a popular sound bite
“ Survival of the fittest "
but that can be misunderstood as just an advert for gymnasiums.
It is now better expressed as
“ Survival of the most flexible or adaptable ”. Of course you do have to be fit in mind and body to do that.
And it really does apply to this virus situation, because it is all about extinction of the individual, communities and occupations. Out the door for example go the Bigots who think that they know better than the scientists. It is of course possible that the same Bigot could get a better science result rather that demean the professional scientists but they tend not to do that.
The UK has an advantage of having people over about sixty who had to be flexible in World war TWO e.g fishing boats into troop carriers etc but there are countless other examples.
SO how flexible can the Americans be?
How creative and inventive? Is it so attached to only the economy that they cannot think of communal eating? Of first keeping people alive?
Think what volunteering a new product on a no profit basis could do for an entrepreneur of the future. Free publicity getting your name known for when the economy does return to normal.
Do they have enough Faith in Humans?
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6 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Still hopefull that scientist will come up with a vacine to save us old codgers. Otherwise trying to outlive the virus, could turn out to be a disaster, particulary if the virus starts mutating in a bad way. ..which can happen, even if a vacine is found. Got to say, I think the virus is getting way to much help from Trumpy and his kind.
HankSherman
Level 8
May 6, 2020
1
Adapt or die.
That's what I think "survival of the fittest" means.
Arrogance won't save anyone.
KKGator
Level 9
May 6, 2020
0
I like brevity Thanks
It seems you have a slight misunderstanding of what Darwin met by "fittest". It has nothing to do with individual physical fitness or individual adaptability to a situation.
Instead it refers to the ability of an entire species to remain "fit" within the environmental conditions with which it resides. The primary goal of any species is to retain the most viable genetic make-up assuring its "evolutionary fitness" so that it can propagate and continue the gene pool ad infinitum. "Survivl of the fittest" then ultimately refers then to the strength of the gene pool to adapt to changing environmental conditions, not the ability of a small segment of the population to temporarily adjust to local short-term situational challenges.
Sustained challenges that impacts a population substantially enough to effect a genetic change in its gene pool that improves its "fitness" is evolution. Results in a new species or subspecies.
t1nick
Level 8
May 6, 2020
1
I do understand the confusion over fitness and am trying to use a better version. it takes along time to rid ourselves of mistaken interpretations.
As a Scientist and Science Instructor who teaches evolution, let me tell me tell you have difficult it really is.
@t1nick It is OK to use historical expressions of the truth but because they are historical it does not mean that they cannot be improved. I do realise I cannot change it by myself . I happen to think flexible or adaptable will get the idea further and am trying to use it wherever I can in a slow change, but fittest is unlikely to disappear. Thank you for your stirling work with evolution. We MUST eveolve minds and ideas.
All very true. Like you and a lot of people I like to qualify 'Survival of the fittest.' which was not Darwin's originally and the one I go for is. 'Survival of the best fitted, in the short term.' 'Survival, of the quickest adapting, in the long term.'
Fernapple
Level 9
May 6, 2020
1
Thank you for trying with me to get a better soundbite to remember Darwin. To me 'best fitted' has a ring about that says "I can't change therefore I will die'. Adaptable means that IF you change you might live. How many people are willing to change for the sake of someone else's science? You need to work it out for yourself
@Mcflewster I think that part of the problem is that the meaning of the words 'fit' and 'fittest' has changed since Darwin's day. In those days it certainly probably had more of the, peg the same shape as the hole, meaning than it does today, after a century of misuse by those who misunderstood Darwin, and promoted the idea that it meant strong, they are bound to have affected the way we understand the word.
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