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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis 234
A Research Program: A Decadal Roadmap
The Adam Paradox Hypothesis (APH) is not merely a claim about human
origins; it is an invitation to the scientific community to build a research
tradition. For APH to live, it must generate falsifiable predictions, attract
collaborative projects, and inspire students to take ownership of its tests. This
roadmap outlines how APH can be embedded into academic inquiry across the
next two decades.
Phase I (0–5 Years): Foundations and Pilot Studies
Goals: Establish feasibility, refine test methods, and recruit interdisciplinary teams.
In the first stage, the aim is to prove that APH can be studied scientifically. That
means testing whether the methods work, checking if predictions can be
measured, and bringing together experts from different fields — genetics,
archaeology, and neuroscience — into joint teams.
Genomics
1. Develop ignition loci research groups focused on HAR1, FOXP2,
SRGAP2C, and enhancers linked to cognition.
Explanation: These are stretches of DNA that past studies suggest are
connected to uniquely human abilities.
HAR1: A region that changed rapidly in humans, possibly linked to
brain development.
FOXP2: Sometimes called the “language gene,
” because mutations
here affect speech and grammar learning.
SRGAP2C: A gene duplication that may have given humans more
complex neurons and faster connections.
Enhancers: Switch-like pieces of DNA that don’t code for proteins
but control when and where genes are turned on.
By creating dedicated research teams around these targets, scientists can
focus on finding whether they played a role in a sudden cognitive leap.