Schoolchildren crossing at Junctions

[Profpointy]

yeah, bloody kids on foot: don't pay any effin road tax nor nuffin. They should have to do a test and have insurance..

 

[benb]

This is true. Stupidity is not hereditary therefor not affected by evolution. Wiping out lots of stupid people will not create smarter people in the future.

Could be worth a try though.

 

[MisterStan]

yeah, bloody kids on foot: don't pay any effin road tax nor nuffin. They should have to do a test and have insurance..

*cough* and helmets *cough*

 

[hennbell]

Not really.

If I took a gun and shot someone who was suggested to have been "stupid" for entering a high crime area - would that be evolution too. No it would not. Actions formed from intellect lead to the outcome not evolution.

May I also ask if yourself or Spinney have any formal qualification in biology?

My background is heavy in Microbiology, but my work is with yeast and bacteria.

 

[hennbell]

No I'm not saying the motorists actions were deliberate in that scenario (perhaps I worded poorly there). I'm saying that the pedestrians actions through choice would lead to a downfall, not genetics or intellect etc.

My background was microbiology. Albeit for a very short time at a Btec higher level.

This has been real fun, later can we have a nice discussion about speciation and intelligent design theory.

 

[BlackPanther]

That is still not survival of the fittest.... motoring can kill indiscriminately even the most fit and strong, and its entirely non-biological. Yes I agree evolution is about success but you're conflating the man-made with the natural order of things

The evolutionary process involves both physical and mental 'fitness' though. Change survival of the fittest to survival of the least stupid then?

 

[ufkacbln]

W

yeah, bloody kids on foot: don't pay any effin road tax nor nuffin. They should have to do a test and have insurance..

What is worse they freeload!

There we have the poor overtaxed motorist paying his road tax, and all these little tykes sitting in the car being ferried all over the place expecting someone else to pay the road tax

 

[Markymark]

Could be worth a try though.

Lets close the border to Scotland and see how rUK fares?

 

[mangid]

Hmm, yes, one fractured radial head later...

Two children by fast main road ... they carefully looked right, carefully looked left, carefully looked right, at me (or rather, though me), doing about 25mph ... then looked ahead, and darted straight out into the road, into my path. They hadn't seen me, in broad daylight, but I thought they had by how they paused after looking at me. I had obviously been invisible till I shouted just before the moment of impact. I suppose, as with motorists at junctions, expect the unexpected.

BTW, she was fine. I cycled home, and then to hospital. As you do. Saves paying for parking.

This summary of some of the research that has been done on children's perception of traffic is worth a quick read.

http://asrts.gccserver.ca/oldsite/partnership/downloads/Safety-Child-Perceptions.pdf

Children have less developed peripheral vision, so even if they look as though they're looking at you, they might not see you. Also the association of size with speed is interesting.

 

[Markymark]

All very clever stuff I'm sure but anyone who zips passed children on a bike or a car is a d1ck irrespective of the science behind it.