Raving Atheists Forum - View Single Post - Current Problems form another Evolutionary Prediction

Philboid Studge · 03-14-2006, 12:32 PM

One thing that I always suspected was true but never saw in print until recently is that the part of the brain that processes (creates?) emotions -- the prefrontal cortex -- evolved most recently. I suppose this was concurrent with Homo becoming a cooperator, in which things like face-recognition, empathy, etc emerged as survival strategies. Caring for granny and the disabled is probably a consequence of that -- and perhaps an ironic one, since expending resources on non-childbearing, unproductive clan members seems contrary to maximizing survival.

Tenspace, isn't this a rather loose usage of the word 'prediction'? Or is there a legitimate scientific usage in which a prediction can be 'formed' retroactively through observation of present conditions?

03-14-2006, 12:32 PM	#9
Philboid Studge Organ Donator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Beastly Muck Posts: 13,136	One thing that I always suspected was true but never saw in print until recently is that the part of the brain that processes (creates?) emotions -- the prefrontal cortex -- evolved most recently. I suppose this was concurrent with Homo becoming a cooperator, in which things like face-recognition, empathy, etc emerged as survival strategies. Caring for granny and the disabled is probably a consequence of that -- and perhaps an ironic one, since expending resources on non-childbearing, unproductive clan members seems contrary to maximizing survival. Tenspace, isn't this a rather loose usage of the word 'prediction'? Or is there a legitimate scientific usage in which a prediction can be 'formed' retroactively through observation of present conditions? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ La propriété, c'est le vol ...