Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Anthropologist to modern men: ‘You’re the worst’

Another book to add to my ever-growing reading list. I think I'm at about 150 titles this year. Better get on it.
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Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male by Peter McAllister.

The National Post published an article by this prominent anthropologist, explaining all the ways in which our bodies suck compared to our ancestors. For those who would use Darwin as means of explaining our superiority to what came before, Mr. McAllister would beg to differ. For all our longevity, nutrition and disease prevention, we're not quite on par with the Olympic-calibre athletes of the past.

See, as our brains get bigger, our bodies get punier and less able to succeed out in the jungle. Kind of makes you wonder what'll happen when the apocalypse is nigh. We'll have mighty strong thumbs from all that video game playing, but otherwise, our soft underbellies will be ripe for the disembowelling.

Take it from someone who's just entered week two of a strenuous bootcamp exercise class: our physical prowess is pathetic. (Also: burpees are the worst form of torture in existence.)

Even fit people aren't as fit as a lazy one-legged cro magnon. We seem to be exercising only one muscle. And while we've succeeded with that muscle beyond any scope our ancestors could have imagined, ignoring the rest of our muscles seems like it could spell trouble for us in our future.

Although, being a head floating in a jar of fluid aboard a spaceship has its perks, I'm sure. If I remember my Futurama correctly, however, things tended to go awry when the heads couldn't get around and were stuck sloshing about in saline.

“We are so inactive these days and have been since the Industrial Revolution really kicked into gear. These people were much more robust than we were." - Peter McAllister

Time to get off the couch and back to being chased across the Serengeti by a pack of lions?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The title suggests a focus on dudes and physical fitness and prowess in an evolutionary context.

I wonder if McAllister expands his scope to consider the past, present, and future of female fitness.

On research in neuroscience and related fields, I'm intrigued as to why we think the way we do and the gender split at the level of hard-wiring as well as socialization that may influence brain development.

This book adds a new dimension in considering the importance of maintaining the rest of the body and possible connections with mental and cognitive health.

Thanks for the heads-up on this book!

"We seem to be exercising only one muscle."

Personally, I'd save the champagne until we manage to make it through the 21st century.

Ms. Fitz said...

There's actually ANOTHER book I saw today on Slate that gets to the nature/nurther effect of gender gaps:

"Pink Brain, Blue Brain" by Lise Eliot.

well, see, the problem with the floating brain outcome is our inability to sip champs and pat ourselves on the back. Which is a major drawback in and of itself. I don't think dousing the brain in alcohol would be a good call, especially considering the carbonation in the bubbly. I think brain corrosion would be an understatement!

But hey, the stronger finger muscles from typing/videogames is totally true. I've just got to prove it! Also: computer-related myopia's probably also another foible of our current iteration of human.