What do you think is evolution's most important achievement?

[Rum]

Yep, knowledge of personal mortality sure puts a damper on things.

I blame Darwin.

[Brian Peacock]

I don't think it's vanity to say that humans are the most important achievement.

No more or less than an amoebae swimming up a food gradient.

That's not to say best achievement. But there can't be any doubt that we are the most important.

Only to us - Mother Nature doesn't really give a shit.

Because we are causing extinctions at an incredible rate. So we are destroying all the other achievements of evolution.

And when we've extinctified ourselves, the planet will continue on its merry way through the firmament abundantly fecund and blooming.

But the other reason is that we are capable of changing the environment to suit us.

So does the Beaver.

And we are also capable of leaving the planet, and seeding life onto other worlds.

Oh shit! The horror. The horror.

No other organism comes close to us in importance. For good or bad, is a different topic.

Self-aggrandisement is one of our most un-attractive traits.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

VOdka!

[Woodbutcher]

Boobs. And butts. Everything else is just philosophy.

[mistermack]

And when we've extinctified ourselves, the planet will continue on its merry way through the firmament abundantly fecund and blooming.

Yeh, but I'm replying to the proposition of the OP.
If you think that it's a rubbish proposition that's fair enough. But it's an odd way to say it, just to criticise posts that take the OP at face value.

[MiM]

I was thinking earlier about death and the massive instinct all living things have to survive. The instinct to survive struck me as possibly the single most important evolutionary development once you get to a semi complex level of life.

Just speculation mind you.What do you think?

The instinct to survive (at least until you can replicate) is closer to a precondition to evolution than an achievement of it, imho.

The oddest, most wondrous (we know of), I agree is the human mind, with it's ability to ponder itself.

When it comes to impact on the evolutionary process, I believe it is pretty straightforward that the eukaryote cell, followed by sex (as opposed to division or cloning) are the most important.

[Brian Peacock]

And when we've extinctified ourselves, the planet will continue on its merry way through the firmament abundantly fecund and blooming.

Yeh, but I'm replying to the proposition of the OP.
If you think that it's a rubbish proposition that's fair enough. But it's an odd way to say it, just to criticise posts that take the OP at face value.

Just stating my views in relation to your own. Let's say you just inspired me.

[mistermack]

And when we've extinctified ourselves, the planet will continue on its merry way through the firmament abundantly fecund and blooming.

Yeh, but I'm replying to the proposition of the OP.
If you think that it's a rubbish proposition that's fair enough. But it's an odd way to say it, just to criticise posts that take the OP at face value.

Just stating my views in relation to your own. Let's say you just inspired me.

Yes, but my views are similar to what you said. What I wrote was just in the spirit of the question, not my end position on the significance of existence. Damn you for saying it first !

[cowiz]

To the OP, has anyone said "pawiz" yet?

[Pappa]

To the OP, has anyone said "pawiz" yet?

It says "achievement" not "disaster".

[Bella Fortuna]

To the OP, has anyone said "pawiz" yet?

It says "achievement" not "disaster".

But as far as disasters go, he excels, so I guess that's a backwards "achievement."

[Pappa]

To the OP, has anyone said "pawiz" yet?

It says "achievement" not "disaster".

But as far as disasters go, he excels, so I guess that's a backwards "achievement."

No, that would be a "tnemeveihca".