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A request: Does anyone have actual scientific data from archeologists / biologists / doctors on what the human body was evolved to do? Not interested in comme

by VLM 12y ago

A request: Does anyone have actual scientific data from archeologists / biologists / doctors on what the human body was evolved to do? Not interested in commentary on what strategy maximizes profit to owners of peasants or moral/ethical arguments. Strictly looking for hard science like biochemist XYZ found human butts and spines are not operationally effective for sitting for longer than X hours due to scientific reason A, B, and C, or brain biochemistry shows indications of wearing out after Y hours of concentration or whatever? It would be interesting to find out the science of optimized productivity rather than anecdotes. If we had consultative doctors like pro athletes had doctors...

capisce 12y ago
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/02/09/why-sitting-increases-your-risk-of-dying-sooner/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/02/09/why-sit... Though that's more of an argument for using a standing desk instead of sitting the whole day.
- VLM 12y ago
  Unfortunately thats more "recent research and anecdotes" I'm looking for something with a summary like "archeologists, biologists, and orthopedic surgeons recently cooperated on a paper indicating that biologically identical humans spend the years 200K to 100K BC walking around 50% of the time, sitting about 25% of the time, and 25% of the time doing everything else, based on electron microscope analysis of microwear patterns on fossilized hip joints and computer simulation" With the obvious unstated conclusion that millenia of evolution has optimized the innards of biologically identical modern humans to sit no more than 25% of the time. Assuming evolution did successfully optimize innards, which is kind of an open question WRT spinal design and appendixes and things like that.
ZeroFries 12y ago
According to Chris Ryan (PhD and author of Sex at Dawn), hunter gatherers work around 20-25 hours per week, in line with the comments above of what they found was near ideal for happiness, productivity, and concentration. There really isn't much hard science when it comes to things like human productivity standards, in the same way there's not too much hard science on ideal diet. Too many variables, highly individualized, and like all multi-objective optimization, highly context dependent.

by VLM 12y ago

capisce 12y ago

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/02/09/why-sitting-increases-your-risk-of-dying-sooner/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/02/09/why-sit... Though that's more of an argument for using a standing desk instead of sitting the whole day.

VLM 12y ago
Unfortunately thats more "recent research and anecdotes" I'm looking for something with a summary like "archeologists, biologists, and orthopedic surgeons recently cooperated on a paper indicating that biologically identical humans spend the years 200K to 100K BC walking around 50% of the time, sitting about 25% of the time, and 25% of the time doing everything else, based on electron microscope analysis of microwear patterns on fossilized hip joints and computer simulation" With the obvious unstated conclusion that millenia of evolution has optimized the innards of biologically identical modern humans to sit no more than 25% of the time. Assuming evolution did successfully optimize innards, which is kind of an open question WRT spinal design and appendixes and things like that.

ZeroFries 12y ago

According to Chris Ryan (PhD and author of Sex at Dawn), hunter gatherers work around 20-25 hours per week, in line with the comments above of what they found was near ideal for happiness, productivity, and concentration. There really isn't much hard science when it comes to things like human productivity standards, in the same way there's not too much hard science on ideal diet. Too many variables, highly individualized, and like all multi-objective optimization, highly context dependent.