# How much of our culture will be remembered in 500 years?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 14, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012 "2003-12-14T23:14:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012/101 "2013-12-19T14:48:05Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> While I agree that significant advances in genetic engineering will happen in the next 500 years, I doubt it will have an effect on the majority of humans. Most people will just be people like us today.

I doubt that; they’d be completely marginalized and outcompeted. Or just killed, accidentally or on purpose. Look at how much industrialized society has marginalized pre-industrial societies, and that’s not as big an edge as being genuinely superhuman.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012/102 "2013-12-19T15:43:33Z")

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Heck, when Khan goes on about being genetically superior, I just wanted to see some redshirt shrug and blast him with a phaser.

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**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012/103 "2013-12-19T16:47:35Z")

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> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> I doubt that; they’d be completely marginalized and outcompeted. Or just killed, accidentally or on purpose. Look at how much industrialized society has marginalized pre-industrial societies, and that’s not as big an edge as being genuinely superhuman.

😕 I think industrialization is much more important than whatever physical improvements genetic modification can come from. You can grow a bigger genetically modified tomato but I think have a tractor plowing the field beats having Andre the Giant plowing it.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-our-culture-will-be-remembered-in-500-years/219012/104 "2013-12-19T16:52:15Z")

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> [@pancakes3](#):
>
> 😕 I think industrialization is much more important than whatever physical improvements genetic modification can come from. You can grow a bigger genetically modified tomato but I think have a tractor plowing the field beats having Andre the Giant plowing it.

More likely you have Andre the genetically-modified couch potato watching (on screens built into the insides of his eyelids) the tomatos harvest themselves by walking to the collection baskets.

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