@irascible I second that.

"We find that offensive!"

I have lived a long time and observed a lot of people and children as they were growing up. From what I have observed, I have come to believe that random (only identical twins get the same genes as their sibling), genetic predisposition just may be the definitive factor in a person's personality traits rather than nurture or environment.

@dahermit the consensus today is the environment and perhaps more importantly epigenetics (which accounts for different character traits over just a generation or two) work together with genes. Identical Twin studies separated and adopted at birth, will show different traits because the environment determines what genes will be switched on so to speak. I've just been studying this very topic and it's fascinating stuff.

@MsDemeanour Thanks for the information. Twins have always be a source of fascination for me.

@dahermit me too.

@MsDemeanour I think we will start to understand more about epigenetics the more we will realise how little control we have over ourselves and our bodies. I was especially interested in one study that suggested that you are 100 times more likely to develop schizophrenia if your maternal grandmother was starving during the pregnancy of your mother. I know some people may throw environmental stuff in there but this remains the same even if the mother never herself experienced poor diet. Its just the idea that our grandparent's genetics can affect us and that in turn, we can change our own genes through experience which can then alter the genes or our own children and grandchildren. Mind blowing

I'll half you on one.

@Amisja ???

@MrChange *with

@Amisja Apple sauce

yes I'm rather afraid your right. I can never understand why anyone would want to be a soldier, following someone else's orders, told what to do continually, march in formation. I raised four sons to be independent critical thinkers. Not army material at all.

@MsDemeanour I did 6yrs. Not my cup of tea at all.

lol ya smug elitist!

Did you know we reached 0 childbirth population increase over a decade ago? All the increase in population is just the younger populations increasing in age, therefore, adding about a billion to each new age group until it reaches around 90 then it will stop. There is a lot of data that suggests not long after that point it will most likely start dropping and future generations will face a crisis of not enough people. Japan expects to lose half of its population by 2050. They are already in crisis mode at the top since they realize the problem it will cause. The rise of robots and AI will change the world far more than anything we have seen. There are too many variables to predict what will happen, far too many events and discoveries will happen so we could never predict will happen. Our consumption is certainly the problem. The way we allocate resources is the biggest problem since applying modern day farming practices in the US to Africa would be more than enough to feed everyone plus the increase. We use resources based off of what's good for a group of less than 1% with total disregard for the 99% or the planet as a whole. This monopoly game we call capitalism has brought us a very good way of life but its the problem. It doesn't take into account what the world gives them, the environment to them is an "externality", something not figured into the costs of making something. This all will change one way or the other, and it will not end well for the environment we have today. We will totally wipe it out as they did on Easter Island, there is no stopping it. Like I said it's impossible to predict what will happen but I see nothing right now that will stop it. It's going to come much faster than anyone thinks. There are many areas where the data is very good overall for the human race. Like I said we reached 0 childbirth increase, less than 10% of the planet lives in extreme poverty now, the literacy rates are over 80% now, the average family size is now 2.5 and these are worldwide figures, not the USA. There are many good things going on also, we should never forget that in almost every area we call quality of life humans are far better off today than at any time. There are many very smart people working together to save us from ourselves. The environment will change, no stopping it, but it doesn't mean we will be wiped out. We all need to stand up and fight for what we feel is right but we also need to understand there are powerful forces fighting to keep people ignorant as possible but most importantly to keep them divided. They can't do what they do otherwise. They divide us and rape the planet while they laugh all the way to the bank they own.

@JesseBoren What do you mean we are at zero population growth? It has certainly dropped but at 1% it amounts to an increase of 82 million a year. We are not endanger of running out of people anytime soon. The problem is those of us in wealthy countries are doing little to meet the basic needs of war torn and poverty stricken countries. [worldometers.info] But thanks for some good comments. I too, like to trust in the innovativeness of humans

@JesseBoren "Did you know we reached 0 childbirth population increase over a decade ago? All the increase in population is just the younger populations increasing in age, therefore, adding about a billion to each new age group until it reaches around 90 then it will stop."

You do know what "population" means don't you? I am not sure you do...however, I know for sure that you do not know what a paragraph is.

@MsDemeanour There are no more kids born today than were born a decade ago, No increase in the number of children being born which is the first thing you need to stop if you want to stop population increase. It stopped increasing at about 2 billion children, so as they age there will be 2 billion of them whereas in my age group there are only about 1 billion of us. This means as the younger populations increase in age they will add about 1 billion to each age group. This is what is driving the increase we are still experiencing. This has stopped well over a decade ago. The average family worldwide now has about 2.5 kids now mainly because health care has improved even in the worst places so people no longer have to have 6 to 8 kids in hopes 2 will make it adulthood. Their children survive now. There are still little pockets that aren't doing well but overall it is very positive. I know it runs counter what we hear all the time but there are some positives. This doesn't mean we should give up fighting to improve anything we can but the world is no more going to hell than it always is. I certainly expect all the attacks for not spouting the rhetoric of the left without question like a good little soldier but although I agree with 90% of the stuff liberals fight for, sometimes they can be as blind as the right and totally abandon logic and reason for ideology. I decided I prefer to see the world as it truly is more than I believe in any ideology. I seek only the truth, as much as it can be revealed.

@dahermit do you know what arrogant asshole means?

@JesseBoren Yes, I do. I also know what the Dunning-Kruger Effect is. I also know the difference between population and the rate of growth of the population.

@dahermit I know the effect well as most of do even if they aren't aware. I also know how the educated like to discount everything people say if the right grammar is in place. This elitist thinking is why I don't really have much respect for the educated class with their degrees of superiority. I think it matters more what you say than how you say it so grammar never mattered all that much to me. Since I could care less what you think of me it really makes no difference to me. Maybe if my job was academic and my advancement depended on what others thought of my grammar. I find people that discount others for such reasons to be of lower intelligence anyway. Most of those with their degrees got them because of who they were born to not based on intelligence and a formal education just means you know how to jump through the hoops, it doesn't mean you know anything. I'm sure I have given you a lot more grammar mistakes now so you can have comfort in your superiority, sir.

@JesseBoren I hate intellectual snobs myself. Paragraphs distinguish different ideas and make it easier for us to read and of course grammar is there to ensure meaning isn't lost. It was wrong and rude of that guy to be dismissive of you because of grammar and not address the question itself. Keep on reading and questioning. Education isn't all about degrees and Phd's

@JesseBoren My sincere apologies...I did not realize that you were doing the best you could with what you have. Sorry for the attitude.

@MsDemeanour I don't mind when people point out my grammar errors, I know it sucks. I understand the need to some extent and I do try to some degree but it's a subject I have always found to be as boring a subject as I've come across which makes it almost impossible for me to put the kind of effort into it. we can only fill our minds and time with a certain amount. I just never found it worthy of that kind of devotion when so much more important stuff is more important to me. I'm a big picture thinker and details bore me unless I find it really important. There are a lot of people more intelligent than I working on very technical details which I could never really dive into on the level they do so I do trust what some other really, smart people, report. I've not done any scientific research. I just try to listen to as many of them over as many fields as possible. I find I'm wrong frequently if I have a belief that's been based on emotion and held for long periods. I just hate it when people look for other little slight differences which have nothing to do with a debate in order to discount the argument because they can't really defend it but don't like what you say. Right wing people use other things but the left is bad about using grammar to discount what others say. I find it really sad when my fellow liberals ignore logic and reason for an ideological stance that might anyway be seen as helping the other side. I find myself fighting with liberals more than conservatives on this site, FB is the opposite for me. Sorry for the grammar, haha

@dahermit I always appreciate sarcasm

@MsDemeanour [ted.com]