3 ms·

Definitely today sleep prioritizes healing resources over active resources and it certainly seems beneficial to have that happen. But I'd contend that a system

Definitely today sleep prioritizes healing resources over active resources and it certainly seems beneficial to have that happen. But I'd contend that a system that can constantly be active and healing would be an evolutionary improvement that will occur over time. Evolution is kind of like Economics; it's not rational, and it's not currently in equilibrium.

omalleyt 8y ago
That would take extra calories, that's where the balance is
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- abootstrapper 8y ago
  Too bad I can’t spend my calorie surplus on the no sleep extra healing evolution upgrade.
gotocake 8y ago
It may not, if any such system is very energetically taxing, or would confer a host of other issues. Such a system would, downsides taken into account, have to confer a net advantage. It may be that sleep in some form is best system with the fewest downsides.
- thaumasiotes 8y ago
  The downsides of sleep are more severe for aquatic air-breathers, and, as some other comments have already pointed out, it appears to have already been eliminated in that case.
  - gotocake 8y ago
    It’s not eliminated, it’s bicameral. Dolphins do sleep, they just do so one half of their brain at a time, which is... so cool.
    - thaumasiotes 8y ago
      This is only true if you redefine "sleep" in a certain technical way. This redefinition is supported by phenomena such as the dolphin closing one eye during that eye's half-sleep cycle, but it is not obviously appropriate in all contexts.
charlieegan3 8y ago
I guess this is related somewhat to USWS https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sleep https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sle...
gnode 8y ago
In addition to higher energy requirements, anabolism can increase the probability of tumours. Additionally, metabolism creates mutagenic oxygen compounds. It may be that separating metabolic and anabolic states in time (wake and sleep) allows these nasties to be cleaned away before the risky business of cellular division takes place.

omalleyt 8y ago

That would take extra calories, that's where the balance is

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
abootstrapper 8y ago
Too bad I can’t spend my calorie surplus on the no sleep extra healing evolution upgrade.

gotocake 8y ago

It may not, if any such system is very energetically taxing, or would confer a host of other issues. Such a system would, downsides taken into account, have to confer a net advantage. It may be that sleep in some form is best system with the fewest downsides.

thaumasiotes 8y ago
The downsides of sleep are more severe for aquatic air-breathers, and, as some other comments have already pointed out, it appears to have already been eliminated in that case.
- gotocake 8y ago
  It’s not eliminated, it’s bicameral. Dolphins do sleep, they just do so one half of their brain at a time, which is... so cool.
  - thaumasiotes 8y ago
    This is only true if you redefine "sleep" in a certain technical way. This redefinition is supported by phenomena such as the dolphin closing one eye during that eye's half-sleep cycle, but it is not obviously appropriate in all contexts.

charlieegan3 8y ago

I guess this is related somewhat to USWS https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sleep https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sle...

gnode 8y ago

In addition to higher energy requirements, anabolism can increase the probability of tumours. Additionally, metabolism creates mutagenic oxygen compounds. It may be that separating metabolic and anabolic states in time (wake and sleep) allows these nasties to be cleaned away before the risky business of cellular division takes place.