303elliott t1_iy1g6b0 wrote on November 28, 2022 at 12:43 AM

Reply to comment by peenutbuttherNjelly in ELI5 If fevers are the body’s defense against viruses, and the body’s top most interest is the preservation of life, then why does the body allow fever temperature to get life threatening high (104+)? by TheFaytalist

I love your enthusiasm, but you seem a bit misguided. Evolution has essentially stopped for humans, as natural selection no longer determines our survival. If anything, more evolved humans will be those that are better at getting laid with modern technology.

peenutbuttherNjelly t1_iy1hgi6 wrote on November 28, 2022 at 12:53 AM

I understand where you're coming from, but evolution is not something we have any control over. Natural selection is always at play. Just that we've intervened to an unimaginable degree that we cannot predict the direction of selection anymore. It's also not a single direction but multiple directions now. Agreed! Getting laid needs to out-select not getting laid cause our very survival's at stake.

303elliott t1_iy1kkg3 wrote on November 28, 2022 at 1:19 AM

You say we don't have any control over it, and then follow that up by saying we've intervened to an unimaginable degree lol. What I'm saying is people will not naturally evolve a fever limiter, because death by fever is prevented with modern medicine. There's no evolutionary incentive for it, so if it happens, it's just a mutation that's not selected out. Therefore it's unlikely to be widespread.