Not stepping in front of a car, train, down a bridge or out of a window isn’t directly selected for by evolution. The fact that this works for pretty novel situations is amazing.
I agree, it is not selected directly. It is highly selected indirectly.
First off, manmade systems that we cannot adapt to get redesigned until we can operate around them safely. SO bridges all have fences (if they are for walking). Windows are installed at a height that it is hard to fall out of them.
Second, Adults are evolved to protect children from natural dangers. It isn’t a big step to piggy back on that evolved tendency to select, to allow only human designed systems which allow for adults to protect children. Roadways with slow cars have boundary areas. Roadways with fast cars are fenced off. Sumps, mechanically or chemically unsafe things, are fenced off, walled off, locked away.
In some sense, all of these amazing things are somewhat less amazing when you consider that we have built ridiculously dangerous things which have killed lots of people, but we have simply selected not to allow them to continue, selecting instead safer and safer modifications, or selecting instead to band them if they could not be made safe.
Not stepping in front of a car, train, down a bridge or out of a window isn’t directly selected for by evolution. The fact that this works for pretty novel situations is amazing.
I agree, it is not selected directly. It is highly selected indirectly.
First off, manmade systems that we cannot adapt to get redesigned until we can operate around them safely. SO bridges all have fences (if they are for walking). Windows are installed at a height that it is hard to fall out of them.
Second, Adults are evolved to protect children from natural dangers. It isn’t a big step to piggy back on that evolved tendency to select, to allow only human designed systems which allow for adults to protect children. Roadways with slow cars have boundary areas. Roadways with fast cars are fenced off. Sumps, mechanically or chemically unsafe things, are fenced off, walled off, locked away.
In some sense, all of these amazing things are somewhat less amazing when you consider that we have built ridiculously dangerous things which have killed lots of people, but we have simply selected not to allow them to continue, selecting instead safer and safer modifications, or selecting instead to band them if they could not be made safe.