Can we accelerate evolution?

Gene manipulation would allow us to increase the production of genetic variation. It doesn't help much with the selection part.Artificial breeding already speeds up selection. However, it seems to me that natural selection is more thorough.My guess is that we might affect evolution at the margins, but not much. On the other hand, our manipulation of the environment (as in habitat destruction) does speed up some kinds of change.

---

Jesus was a liberal hippie

We might see genetic based treatments for such diseases, but not elimination of the diseases. I hope not. Eugenics has been tried in the past, and is generally believed to be a bad idea. It is my impression that most results of breeding, whether cows, sheep or soybeans, are a lot less robust than the natural occurring varieties. That is, they are more susceptible to disease, and need more care than their wild varieties.

It is not so much wrong, as it is dangerous.If this happens on a small scale, then it is probably no big deal. If this happens on a large scale, then we would in essence be replacing evolution in practice, with intelligent design in practice, and appointing ourselves as the intelligent designers. The most likely outcome will be an earlier extinction of the species than would have happened without such intervention.

It is likely that such large scale intervention will reduce the amount of variation in the gene pool, and that reduces the probability that there will be gene combinations available that can adequately resist the next major scourge.

I see that jar has already answered this in Message 25. I agree with his answer.Over the last few days, Blockbuster Video has been in the news around here. They adapted their movie rental business so that they would be the best ever. But then, as the world changed, along came Netflix to give a better alternative for many people, and Red Box with their automated kiosks, to give a better alternative to others. And Blockbuster is filing for bankruptcy. They tried to adapt to the new competition, but it was too little too late. That's the risk of following the intelligent design way of change. Nature's evolutionary way seems to be more robust.