[hnriot]

Anyone that thinks their smartphone and self driving car will in any way impact the evolutionary pressures is very self deluded. Evolution will act on our species' population for many hundreds of centuries before any significant impact from technology is seen.

Also I am not sure you understand what "mortal coil" means:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_coil

[duaneb]

> Evolution will act on our species' population for many hundreds of centuries before any significant impact from technology is seen.

You don't think that, say, genetic engineering will change the genome? I'm betting we'll be primarily artificially designed by the end of the century.

[innguest]

> Also I am not sure you understand what "mortal coil" means:

I did not know that - I really thought "mortal coil" meant the human body. Now that I know I'm wrong, nevertheless I must point out that qualifying "coil" with the word "mortal" is not only misleading but empty of meaning.

The Wikipedia article says that "mortal coil" = "the bustle and turmoil of this mortal life" but I do not believe that "mortal" fits well as an adjective for "coil" just because it refers to a "mortal life".

It seems like a very tenuous connection. Not one of Shakespeare's best poetic terms by far.

EDIT: Thanks for teaching me something interesting today, hnriot.

[yen223]

> Also I am not sure you understand what "mortal coil" means

I'd like to think it is a poetic reference to our DNA.

To stay on topic, I agree with the parent. I think we have reached a point where our genetic makeup is no longer the primary factor determining our destiny as a species.

One could say that intelligent design now trumps evolution, as it were.