JoshuaZ comments on [LINK] Loss of local knowledge affecting intellectual trends - Less Wrong

18 Post author: GLaDOS 22 October 2011 03:54PM

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Comment author: JoshuaZ 24 October 2011 01:57:09AM 1 point [-]

Yes, you are being clear, and this doesn't follow. It might help to reread my example. If we reduce a negative selection pressure it doesn't mean that things will shift. In the example I gave there's no real equilibrium, the allele just gets to stay under the radar of evolution because it is so rare evolution doesn't get a chance to act on it. (This is by the way a well-known ev-bio issue, that bad recessive alleles can easily stay at low levels in a population.) Making the allele have a less negative selection pressure won't necessarily change that state. If the pressure is moved to close to zero then one then expects neutral drift to occur as usual which can move things up or down, and if the pressure is still negative then it should stay about where it is unless neutral drift moves it a bit downwards.