religion of peace

[Igge]

Just because you're sentient it doesn't mean you do everything on purpose. Humans bred crops and farm animals on purpose -> artificial selection. Still, most of all the species that have ever existed since humans started walking on this planet have evolved in one way or another, completely unaffected by human intentions.

[Ruben]

I guess one simplified way to put it is that artificial selection is something done on purpose, whereas natural selection has no thought behind it?

So once some organism evolves into thoughtful one, there is no more natural selection, only artificial one?

No, there is still natural selection going on all around us constantly. Evolution didn't stop. Artificial selection is most common in agriculture. I think igge is more correct. Artificial selection is done deliberately by humans, while natural selection happens automatically (and constantly). Though I guess you could say natural selection has been somewhat tainted by our utter dominance of the globe.

It's interesting how we can create fruit with almost 100% flesh and no seeds, but yet we have no control over our own traits. "Breeding" humans seems to be quite a taboo subject.