From: david@edenroad.demon.co.uk   
      
   On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:23:57 -0800, h elmer | espeance wrote:   
      
   > trying again here . . .   
   >   
   > SnowMo@HexYouAll.com wrote:   
   >> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:57:53 GMT, mike macken  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>    
   >>   
   >> > It may also be possiable that such people are very very crude examples   
   >> > of a branch off of homosaphien evolution.   
   >>   
   >> If psychic abilities exist as a beneficial, inheritable trait, we would all   
   be   
   >> verifiably psychic by now.  That's just basic evolution.  Any inheritable   
   trait   
   >> which confirs an advantage to some members of a population will with time   
   come   
   >> to permeate the entire population, each individual expressing the trait to a   
   >> variable degree.   
   >   
   > i believe that psychic functioning is an inherent but latent trait in   
   > today's society, and that it already exists in the populace as an   
   > attribute such as athleticism, being developed to varying degrees of   
   > natural aptitude, developed skill, and genetic disposition   
      
   I don't think evolution works like that: a trait which remained latent in   
   the majority of the population would not confer any evolutionary   
   advantage, and would not be selected for.   
      
   > taking my example of athleticism, not everyone is athletic   
      
   It's a bad example: "athleticism" is greater than normal prowess at   
   things we have all evolved to do (move, fight, run etc).  Unless "psychic   
   ability" is a simple (hence: low-probability) mutation from "non-psychic"   
   there is no reason to suggest that it will ever manifest itself.   
      
   >> So based upon the above, there are only three possibilities I can think of:   
   >>   
   >> 1.  Psychic abilities don't exist.   
   >> 2.  Psychic abilities exist, but cannot be inherited - they are acquired   
   through   
   >> other means.   
   >   
   > what other means? interesting probe   
      
   Mutation?   
      
   >   
   >> 3.  Psychic abilities exist and can be inherited, but provide no advantage   
   >> whatsoever to the psychic individual.   
   >   
   > also, interesting, for example they function is basically neutralized   
   > becuase everybody has it   
      
   Hence, unless it had _no_ evolutionary cost, it would vanish from the gene   
   pool.   
      
   --   
   =======================================================================   
   = David    --- No, not that one.   
   = Mitchell ---   
   =======================================================================   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)