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Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams [1] is an amazing read. It discusses a wide variety of "unusual" human physiological characteristics, including bone

Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams [1] is an amazing read. It discusses a wide variety of "unusual" human physiological characteristics, including bones that only occur sometimes. One hears the refrain "everyone is unique". The thing is, technically you can say "every factory made part is unique" at some level. But humans are much more unique on many more different levels, than any human-made-machine (things like bone density or blood saltiness vary widely. Indeed, very few measures are uniform for everyone). The remarkable thing is how the different parts of a living thing can still function well with that capacity to vary. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Biochemical-Individuality-Roger-Williams/dp/0879838930 https://www.amazon.com/Biochemical-Individuality-Roger-Willi...

Gibbon1 8y ago
My favorite was a statistician in the late 40's early 50's who was tasked by the air force to find the 'average pilot'. The reason was new fangled jet fighters were crashing due to pilot error. At higher rates than could be anything but problems with the man machine interface. He and his helpers took 10's of thousands of measurements of thousands of air force pilots and determined that, there is no such thing as the 'average pilot'. Well there was. About two dozen of them. Turns out that all the measurements were uncorrelated in the already highly selected group that is air force pilots. Aerospace manufacturers were forced to redesign cockpits with adjustable seats and controls. And the rate of accidents declined. > The remarkable thing is how the different parts of a living thing can still function well with that capacity to vary What's really whack when you consider it is the same neuromuscular system that allows us to walk can also be repurposed to drive a car, fly a plane and operate other machinery.
- booleandilemma 8y ago
  What's really whack when you consider it is the same neuromuscular system that allows us to walk can also be repurposed to drive a car, fly a plane and operate other machinery. Isn’t this because we purposely design all those things around our anatomy though? I’d imagine alien octopuses’ vehicles would be designed around their anatomy and they would have no trouble using them.
  - kosievdmerwe 8y ago
    Not OP, but I always thought it’s amazing how it becomes second nature. You think you want to turn left and slow down, not I have to use my left foot to slowly press the brake and slowly move my hands in a circle while grasping.
    - fosstax 8y ago
      Breaking with the left foot sounds really dangerous. What is the right foot doing? ...though I guess you were just reinforcing your point: driving becomes so second nature that you forget the implementation details.
      - Talanes 8y ago
        People do totally drive two-footed. In a decently new car there's really no downsides, they'll stop themselves from tanking the engine if you mess up and hit both pedals.
        carc1n0gen 8y ago
        In my experience the concern isn't the damage you cause to your car, but the confusion you give the driver behind you when your left foot resting on the break makes your break lights go on and off
        monort 8y ago
        Actually some modern cars do not light brake lights if you press on a pedal lightly, I think engineers are two feet drivers themselves. Test yours!
      - monort 8y ago
        Actually, two feet driving is superior to traditional method in every way, especially on a slippery road. The only problem with it is that when you try it, you are a newbie again, so of course you can mix up pedals just like when you were learning driving. So train it on roads without traffic. https://www.vox.com/2015/7/1/8877583/two-foot-driving-pedal-error https://www.vox.com/2015/7/1/8877583/two-foot-driving-pedal-...
- hof 8y ago
  This is also described in the book "The End of Average" https://www.amazon.com/End-Average-Succeed-Values-Sameness-ebook/dp/B00R1JU7P6/ https://www.amazon.com/End-Average-Succeed-Values-Sameness-e...
majkinetor 8y ago
Also, maybe more in line with this news: Freaks of Nature: What Anomalies Tell Us About Development and Evolution https://www.amazon.com/Freaks-Nature-Anomalies-Development-Evolution/dp/0199736189 https://www.amazon.com/Freaks-Nature-Anomalies-Development-E...

Gibbon1 8y ago

My favorite was a statistician in the late 40's early 50's who was tasked by the air force to find the 'average pilot'. The reason was new fangled jet fighters were crashing due to pilot error. At higher rates than could be anything but problems with the man machine interface. He and his helpers took 10's of thousands of measurements of thousands of air force pilots and determined that, there is no such thing as the 'average pilot'. Well there was. About two dozen of them. Turns out that all the measurements were uncorrelated in the already highly selected group that is air force pilots. Aerospace manufacturers were forced to redesign cockpits with adjustable seats and controls. And the rate of accidents declined. > The remarkable thing is how the different parts of a living thing can still function well with that capacity to vary What's really whack when you consider it is the same neuromuscular system that allows us to walk can also be repurposed to drive a car, fly a plane and operate other machinery.

booleandilemma 8y ago
What's really whack when you consider it is the same neuromuscular system that allows us to walk can also be repurposed to drive a car, fly a plane and operate other machinery. Isn’t this because we purposely design all those things around our anatomy though? I’d imagine alien octopuses’ vehicles would be designed around their anatomy and they would have no trouble using them.
- kosievdmerwe 8y ago
  Not OP, but I always thought it’s amazing how it becomes second nature. You think you want to turn left and slow down, not I have to use my left foot to slowly press the brake and slowly move my hands in a circle while grasping.
  - fosstax 8y ago
    Breaking with the left foot sounds really dangerous. What is the right foot doing? ...though I guess you were just reinforcing your point: driving becomes so second nature that you forget the implementation details.
    - Talanes 8y ago
      People do totally drive two-footed. In a decently new car there's really no downsides, they'll stop themselves from tanking the engine if you mess up and hit both pedals.
      - carc1n0gen 8y ago
        In my experience the concern isn't the damage you cause to your car, but the confusion you give the driver behind you when your left foot resting on the break makes your break lights go on and off
        monort 8y ago
        Actually some modern cars do not light brake lights if you press on a pedal lightly, I think engineers are two feet drivers themselves. Test yours!
    - monort 8y ago
      Actually, two feet driving is superior to traditional method in every way, especially on a slippery road. The only problem with it is that when you try it, you are a newbie again, so of course you can mix up pedals just like when you were learning driving. So train it on roads without traffic. https://www.vox.com/2015/7/1/8877583/two-foot-driving-pedal-error https://www.vox.com/2015/7/1/8877583/two-foot-driving-pedal-...
hof 8y ago
This is also described in the book "The End of Average" https://www.amazon.com/End-Average-Succeed-Values-Sameness-ebook/dp/B00R1JU7P6/ https://www.amazon.com/End-Average-Succeed-Values-Sameness-e...

majkinetor 8y ago

Also, maybe more in line with this news: Freaks of Nature: What Anomalies Tell Us About Development and Evolution https://www.amazon.com/Freaks-Nature-Anomalies-Development-Evolution/dp/0199736189 https://www.amazon.com/Freaks-Nature-Anomalies-Development-E...