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Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

nautil.us

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Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#81

Post by ta87878 »

adam-a wrote: post #42
ta87878 wrote: post #30

I think the teeth/jaw issues are a matter of misuse not flawed design. The switch from hunter-gatherer diet to modern diet was too fast to blame hill-climbing evolution errors.

The article claims the problem is because our brains grew and pushed our teeth forward. Not because of diet.

I should have included this: " rel="nofollow">http://www.pnas.org/content/108/49/19546.abstract>. There is evidence that agricultural/industrial diet increases dental crownding.

The article included the line "These cusped grinders may have been useful before we learned to cook and process food." which for some reason made me think they were making the same argument.

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#82

Post by etiam »

LordKano wrote: post #52

My vote goes to menstruation. It's an extremely wasteful exercise. Most mammals do not need to do it, so there's an existing model for how reproduction can work without the need for ~monthly blood and tissue loss.

Sexual receptivity more than a few days a year has it's redeeming qualities though...

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#83

Post by ta87878 »

mikeash wrote: post #45
ta87878 wrote: post #30

I think the teeth/jaw issues are a matter of misuse not flawed design. The switch from hunter-gatherer diet to modern diet was too fast to blame hill-climbing evolution errors.

That distinction doesn't make any sense to me. The switch to a modern diet was ultimately a result of evolution. If evolution gave us the ability to radically switch diets, but didn't give us the ability to properly deal with the new diet, then that's an example of evolution producing something flawed.

I disagree that there is no cutoff point for what can be meaningfully blamed on evolution. Would you say that it is an evolutionary flaw that if we drink too much alcohol we get cirrhosis of the liver and die?

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#86

Post by mikeash »

ta87878 wrote: post #83
mikeash wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That distinction doesn't make any sense to me. The switch to a modern diet was ultimately a result of evolution. If evolution gave us the ability to radically switch diets, but didn't give us the ability to properly deal with the new diet, then that's an example of evolution producing something flawed.

I disagree that there is no cutoff point for what can be meaningfully blamed on evolution. Would you say that it is an evolutionary flaw that if we drink too much alcohol we get cirrhosis of the liver and die?

I would say that it's an evolutionary flaw that many humans want to drink so much alcohol that they die from it. Just like it's an evolutionary flaw that we like consuming much more food than is good for us, simply because that part evolved in a time when it was physically impossible to overeat consistently.

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#87

Post by raverbashing »

lotharbot wrote: post #66
raverbashing wrote: post #20

So, this is the so-called "intelligent design"? I think not.

Sitting on my desk right now is a long-handled object with a heavy mass at one end, just like a hammer. But the heavy mass pivots in relation to the handle, the handle is ergonomically crafted in the opposite direction from a hammer, and it's covered in buttons. If you try to evaluate the design as a hammer, it's obviously a terrible design -- but it's a pretty good joystick (good enough for me to use, as the 12th be…

Since the subject is the human body, Descent was great, but it caused me major "motion sickness" (not sure what's the correct term)

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#88

Post by scott_s »

billions wrote: post #84

Given enough time, all of the listed problems would evolve to a fix. The iterative method has made 2 billion cells work in harmony with just a few kinks. Scrum over waterfall.

No, not necessarily, and I think not particularly likely. Evolution is not "progress". We are not evolving to some platonic ideal. Much of what is discussed in this article are local maxima that our ancestors hit many millions of years ago. Because evolution is not planned, and their is no fitness function other than continued survival, all species are going to be filled with such anatomical quirks.

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#89

Post by pstevesy »

a2tech wrote: post #9

My personal favorite poorly designed part of the body is the sinus cavity. When we used to walk on four limbs, our heads would naturally incline to an angle that allows full drainage of the sinus cavity. Now that we walk upright, there's a dead spot in the back of the cavity where mucus and bacteria can pool. This is why if you're experiencing sinus pressure but you haven't reached the stage where nothing in your hea…

Just spent an hour researching this...now back to work! Not a fan of the dead spot.

Re: Top Design Flaws in the Human Body: Our bodies are full of hack solutions

#90

Post by jkyle »

ajuc wrote: post #14
jkyle wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you really think about it, it's probably unavoidable. You have to reward an organism when it performs necessary functions. Which is why defecation and urination are pleasurable. You could move the piping, but you'd still have to reward the action. And if there's reward sensors there, clever animals will figure out how to trigger the reward without the action. In other words, you can move the sewer but they'd proba…

You could also make the "full tank condition" painfull, without making draining it pleasurable. Shouldn't lead to addiction, and would work as well.

That would only work if you wanted the organism to always reach a full tank, or near full tank, before taking the action.

I'd wager that's a non-ideal situation. Think about the times you've reached a completely full bladder...not a good position to be in.

So you have a combo. Taking a whiz is pleasurable, so you do it when you can. But if you get over full, you get a nice zap of discomfort to let you know you're in a danger zone.

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