Benjamin Phelan's "How We Evolve"

Phelan talks about "self-inflicted extinction" in his article "How We Evolve." The first three quarters of this article provided substantial evidence on how evolution works on a more technical level and how it is actually occurring quicker than biologists thought. Evolution used to be a rare concept that biologists and researchers did not really know much about because they did not have to tools to further such research. Now that the tools and technology are up to par, it has been discovered that evolution is actually moving at an incredible rate. "Up to 10 percent of the human genome appears to be evolving at the maximum rate, more quickly than ever before in human history" (193).

However, evolution may not be operating fast enough in order to keep up with the equally, ever-increasing speed of climate change. In as soon as five generations from now, humanity could be dealing with either extinction or a major evolution. Phelan calls this "self-inflicted extinction" because the culture we have created has provided the tools for us to advance into a complex society, yet it has also destroyed the tools like natural resources and a healthy environment necessary for our sustenance. In order for us to survive on this earth, science will have to evolve new tools that can control aspects of evolution. The culture we have created is our best friend, yet our worst enemy. A solution must be sought out using the same means we used to get ourselves in this mess before we're in too deep over our heads.