J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
http://www.reuters.com/article/news...ageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=11604&sp=true
Iron ships & wooden men.
Iron ships & wooden men.
SixtyMinuteMan
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Posts
- 260
Well, that's evolution for you. Better brains slowly eliminate the need for stronger bodies. We as a species cast that die long ago.
penandpaper
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
- Posts
- 524
What about athletic records constantly being broken? I know the book is talking about thousands of generations, but to mention some high jumping African tribe seems silly. A silhouette of a muscular strong man from the 50's and of one today will make you think your eyes are playing tricks on you. I doubt very seriously that one thousand years ago anyone could have been the size and strength of an NFL lineman.
Of course, this is all judging our freaks of nature vs. them and not the common man vs. them. But, I contest any athlete today would crush any sort of modern man; diet, knowledge and drugs are just too important to overlook.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
The article is nonsense. None of the claims are supported by anthropological research.
Jenny_Jackson
Psycho Bitch
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Posts
- 10,872
You are correct. The author zeros in on STRENGTH and STAMINA. The Neandratal did have much thicker bones than modern man as well as larger muscle attachments. But what does that really mean? Who can say. The problem is Neandratal was NOT modern man. He was a long way from modern man.
What has really changed is modern man's ablity to survive painful events.
Examples -
In Thusydides Pelopenesian Wars the general details one of his leutenants who volunteers to poke out his own eye and suffer scourging to make himself appear a deserter so he could join the enemy camp and spy for the Athenians.
During the civil war, a rifle ball to the arm or leg automatically mean amputation, often with minimal anesthesia. A doctor of the time was graded on how quickly he could saw off a limb. Most soldiers laid in the field for one or two days before being taken to a hospital to be amputated. The survival rate was amazingly high.
Could you poke out your own eye and think nothing of it? Would you survive Civil War surgery? I think that's the real difference.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
JENNY
Exactly.
The curse of modern times is our expectation of relief from distress and pain. The Old Guys had no such expectations. People were hardier back then.
Exactly.
The curse of modern times is our expectation of relief from distress and pain. The Old Guys had no such expectations. People were hardier back then.
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Posts
- 39,700
The moment we humans began to change our environment to suit ourselves, we changed our evolutionary engine; from environment to culture.
It has its downsides. But our ability to adapt things around us to our needs-- rather than the other way around-- has allowed us to live in the Amazon, the Arctic, the Sahara, and New York City -- all as the same species.
We don't want to live in pain, so we change our world around so that we don't have to.
It has its downsides. But our ability to adapt things around us to our needs-- rather than the other way around-- has allowed us to live in the Amazon, the Arctic, the Sahara, and New York City -- all as the same species.
We don't want to live in pain, so we change our world around so that we don't have to.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
STELLA will probably sue beavers when she learns how they change lakes and streams.
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Posts
- 39,700
I have better things to do with beavers.
Bianca_Sommerland
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2009
- Posts
- 1,198
ITA. Kinda sucks too, because if anything ever happened global wide that would instantly remove all our sweet conveniences I think we'd find some of those third world, or war torn countries would cope much better. Not to say they would be the only survivors, but we have much farther to fall.
R. Richard
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2003
- Posts
- 10,382
The article is interesting,but almost certainly wrong. I have seen films of African Olympic trials. They have guys come out of the bush who look like the young Arnold Schwartzenegger. However, the muscle boys can't qualify for the Olympics in the muscle sports, because they can't beat the trained field athletes. Again. the typical young man in Kenya may run 10 miles or so back and forth to school each day, but he can't beat the trained track athletes of Kenya.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
I see evidence of it right now. My kids were raised with plenty and cant cope with the present economic situation. My son is doing well but his 3 sisters have gone from affluent to broke. I warned them and they ignored me. Theyre in so deep I cant help them. And theyre not deadbeats, but they believed the good times would last forever and made awful investments.
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Posts
- 39,700
Ask the formerly middle-class Baghdadis. They'll have lots of tips and tricks.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
I have better things to do with beavers.
hahahahaha I'm afraid to know!
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Posts
- 39,700
Afraid of beaver?
Jeeze, jimmy. Don't make me pity you any more than I already do.
Bianca_Sommerland
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2009
- Posts
- 1,198
Your son is the one in the military right? I can see how that worked out
People with the best training will have very good chances but real field work will be the only thing--I think--that will bring human endurance up to the level of what some live every day.
penandpaper
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
- Posts
- 524
People will always adapt. They always do. And if for some reason something needed to make us stronger and hardier, we would become that. It's inside all of us, and it ain't coming out soon.
Similar threads
