Bruce Lahn
Bruce Lahn
Bruce Lahn is the William B. Graham professor of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. He is also the founder of the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. His previous research specialized in human genetics and evolutionary genetics, especially human sex chromosome evolution and the genetic basis that underlies the evolutionary expansion of the human brain. Lahn's current research interests include stem cell biology and epigenetics. His research on the...
cognitive disease human humans mental modern people research resistance result shows took
People like to think of modern human biology, and especially mental biology, as being the result of selections that took place 100,000 years ago. But our research shows that humans are still under selection, not just for things like disease resistance but for cognitive abilities.
cruelty ethnic evolved found genes likely mean multiple survival variations
If we look at multiple genes, the ethnic variations such as the ones we found are likely to be counterbalanced by other differences. Just because these genes are still evolving, doesn't necessarily mean they make you any smarter. We've evolved genes for selfishness, violence, cruelty ??- all of which are in place because they may make survival easier.
abstract acquire advanced brain certain cognitive current form function handle human quite relatively remain skills sure
In another 10,000 or 20,000 years, I think the human brain may acquire a form that is quite different than the human brain today. Not necessarily in its shape, which may remain relatively the same. But the function may be different. It may be, on average, a little smarter. Or it may acquire certain skills that in its current form it isn't well-equipped to handle -- advanced cognitive abilities such as abstract reasoning. We don't really know for sure how -- but we are still evolving.