10 Things We Don't Understand About Humans

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http://www.newscientist.com/special/ten-mysteries-of-you

 

So what can explain these unexplained human traits?

 

Evolutionary dead ends?

Screw-ups by God?

Unintended consequences by alien DNA experiments?

The Illuminati?

Is DC Tom not as smart as he thinks?

[The Dean]

Why is #10 called "Nose Picking" when it really seems to be about "Booger Eating"?

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Why is #10 called "Nose Picking" when it really seems to be about "Booger Eating"?

 

You're assuming the picking of the nose and the eating of the booger stem from the same root cause

 

The booger eating may well just be recycling brought on by the sociopolitical environmentalist movement/global warming cult of the late 20th century

[The Dean]

You're assuming the picking of the nose and the eating of the booger stem from the same root cause

 

The booger eating may well just be recycling brought on by the sociopolitical environmentalist movement/global warming cult of the late 20th century

 

 

No, I'm assuming picking and eating are two very different things. This article treats them as the same thing.

 

It's not too hard to figure out why people might pick their nose: Hardened boogers, dried blood, etc are hard to blow out, can hurt and make breathing difficult.

 

I have no idea why people eat their boogers. That's just fuc#ing disgusting.

[Fezmid]

#5 - Dreams: I thought that one was already known? When you sleep, your brain creates new neuro pathways to more efficiently access data. You generally dream about things that your brain is trying to piece together for you.

 

For example, in college I would frequently do my CSci programming homework until I was stumped late at night, would go right to bed, and as soon as I woke up, I knew the answer because my brain put 2 and 2 together for me.

 

Or maybe that doesn't happen for anyone else, and I'm actually an undercover alien spy...

[Jim in Anchorage]

#5 - Dreams: I thought that one was already known? When you sleep, your brain creates new neuro pathways to more efficiently access data. You generally dream about things that your brain is trying to piece together for you.

 

For example, in college I would frequently do my CSci programming homework until I was stumped late at night, would go right to bed, and as soon as I woke up, I knew the answer because my brain put 2 and 2 together for me.

 

Or maybe that doesn't happen for anyone else, and I'm actually an undercover alien spy...

Or how many beers did I drink last night is a common wake up question.

[Jon in Pasadena]

http://www.newscientist.com/special/ten-mysteries-of-you

 

So what can explain these unexplained human traits?

 

Evolutionary dead ends?

Screw-ups by God?

Unintended consequences by alien DNA experiments?

The Illuminati?

Is DC Tom not as smart as he thinks?

Terrible mess of an article. Most of the items in that list have had solid evolutionary explanations for many years. (Example: W.D. Hamilton did an excellent job of explaining the evolutionary basis for altruistic behavior in terms of kin selection.)

 

Many of the topics are addressed by Stephen Pinker in his books, c.f. "How the Mind Works."

[bbb]

Terrible mess of an article. Most of the items in that list have had solid evolutionary explanations for many years. (Example: W.D. Hamilton did an excellent job of explaining the evolutionary basis for altruistic behavior in terms of kin selection.)

 

Many of the topics are addressed by Stephen Pinker in his books, c.f. "How the Mind Works."

 

What about the pubic hair?

[DC Tom]

Terrible mess of an article. Most of the items in that list have had solid evolutionary explanations for many years. (Example: W.D. Hamilton did an excellent job of explaining the evolutionary basis for altruistic behavior in terms of kin selection.)

 

Many of the topics are addressed by Stephen Pinker in his books, c.f. "How the Mind Works."

 

#4 was bull sh--, too. Adolescence is not any sort of universal biological trait of humans; it's sociological entirely defined by the society one is raised in. Trying to argue a biological or evolutionary basis for it is like trying to argue a biological basis for the popularity of American Idol.

[Jon in Pasadena]

#4 was bull sh--, too. Adolescence is not any sort of universal biological trait of humans; it's sociological entirely defined by the society one is raised in. Trying to argue a biological or evolutionary basis for it is like trying to argue a biological basis for the popularity of American Idol.

Yep. As recently as a few hundred years ago, people in Western societies went directly from kids to full-fledged farmers, kinghts, princes, or whatever, as teenagers. They certainly didn't "sulk around for a decade". Duh!.

 

Also, gotta love the "proof by assertion" in #9....

[/dev/null]

#5 - Dreams: I thought that one was already known? When you sleep, your brain creates new neuro pathways to more efficiently access data. You generally dream about things that your brain is trying to piece together for you.

 

For example, in college I would frequently do my CSci programming homework until I was stumped late at night, would go right to bed, and as soon as I woke up, I knew the answer because my brain put 2 and 2 together for me.

 

Or maybe that doesn't happen for anyone else, and I'm actually an undercover alien spy...

 

The thing about dreams is they aren't just something humans experience

 

Anybody that has owned a dog knows what I'm talking about

[Fezmid]

The thing about dreams is they aren't just something humans experience

 

Anybody that has owned a dog knows what I'm talking about

 

Cats have dreams too.

[DC Tom]

Cats have dreams too.

 

Damn things sleep 20 hours a day. If they didn't dream, their brains would atrophy.

[Fezmid]

Damn things sleep 20 hours a day. If they didn't dream, their brains would atrophy.

 

Dogs sleep 14-20 hours/day as well...