Ten Things We Still Don't Understand About Humans

ParticleGirl writes "New Scientist has an article examining 10 human features (bugs?) that we still don't understand, like blushing, laughing, and nose-picking. There are some interesting, speculative evolutionary explanations listed for each. '[Psychologist Robert R. Provine] thinks laughing began in our pre-human ancestors as a physiological response to tickling. Modern apes maintain the ancestral 'pant-pant' laugh when they are tickled during play, and this evolved into the human 'ha-ha.' Then, he argues, as our brains got bigger, laughter acquired a powerful social function — to bond people. Indeed, Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford has found that laughing increases levels of endorphins, our body's natural opiates, which he believes helps to strengthen social relationships.'"

Comments

Missed another pair: Teh goat guy and tubgirl

[tomhudson]

Not that we want to know the why of what they do ... and pity anyone who ends up with that as a research assignment. "Today, I have to interview this really big asshole - no, not Rush Limbaugh - and if you thing THAT's shitty, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Re:at what point did humans turn nigger/white etc

[Anonymous Coward]

BEST comeback ever.

How about Titanic conspiracies...

[Anonymous Coward]

Like this one...

In 1912, the far looking director of the Black Star Line, Ernest Borgnine, decided to build three ships that looked like his dick. To reinforce how large he thought his wanker was, he named the three Olympic (as his dick could compete in the Olympics and win), Titanic, and Gigantic (later renamed Britannic as he was castrated for his involvement in the sinking of Titanic) As was the fashion at the time, the boat was made of marshmallow with Graham cracker reinforcements and holes in the side for the oars, chocolate and cannon mounts. Due to the extreme lightness of the marshmallow, the ship was pronounced "unsinkable" (which is a strange way to say "Titanic", but the English have odd accents).

Later that year, the Titanic made its maiden voyage (the maidens were to be delivered to Afghanistan to be sold into slavery. It is thought that the fact that Afghanistan is land-locked may have contributed to the ship's demise). The voyage took it past the Bermuda Triangle (often thought to have caused the downfall of Vanilla Ice), which is known for its abundance of crayfish. These crayfish eat plankton, krill, the occasional local native, and manganese nodules which are found on the seabed. Manganese is a ferromagnetic substance, which is why most of the crayfish are magnetised (this is why you find them in large conga lines at the bottom of the ocean). Occasionally, these lines of crayfish double back on themselves, and create loops. Once these get up to speed, the rotating magnetic field can cause significant inductive heating and structural failure in nearby metal. Unfortunately, the Titanic was floating over one of these so called "lobster twirls", the structural supports gave way, and the marshmallow collapsed into the water. People say that the surrounding water was syrupy for days.

The prospect of there ever being a 'Titanic II' - alternative titles included 'The Ship That Wouldn't Sink' and 'The Boobtaculous Adventures of Kate Winslet and her Gay, Monkey-Loving Matey Leo' - is scarce since both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were killed in a double-murder-suicide after Leo caught Kate making out with director James Cameron. Suffice to say, the movie industry has lost three truly great idiots.

...or these ones...

Many people believe that it was in fact the TARDIS that sank the Titanic though she was not badly damaged the sinking was as many survivors say was done by an extremely fat retard who was weighing down the front of the ship by trying to look out for jam filled cream pies that had floated down from the polo mint icing sugar caps and in stead of jumping for the ice burg he go the cream pies.

Kate Winslet and Barbara Stanwyck had both fallen in love with Leonardo DiCaprio and were fighting on the main deck rolling over and over, first one on top of the other then the other - they crashed into the Wheel Room - Kate Winslet was sitting on top of Barbara repeatedly bashing her. This distracted the staff in the engine room. While pulling Kate off Barbara they failed to steer clear of the Iceberg. The fight continued as the Captain and crew struggled to deal with the aftermath, it went into the Marconi room - Barbara threw 2 of her stilettos, one of which took out a Marconi Wireless operator. Kate then let rip some dreadful fartium which put the only other person able to operate the Marconi into a coma. The fight ended as Barbara was thrown into the engine, which exploded. On her way back Kate bumped into Leonardo, who started banging her. It was so vigorous that they breached one of the bulkheads damaged in the collision with the iceberg, and the Titanic went down.

Re:Missed one:

[Hurricane78]

The problem is, that it is just commonly assumed, that logic would be the highest form of intelligence, and that the emotional intelligence -- the one that women are really good at -- would be "lower" or somehow primitive.

So even women who call themselves "emancipated" really just run behind male ideals of intellectualism and engineer jobs, etc.

Who states that they are better? Seriously. Who came up with the stupid idea, that people skills, ability to sense emotions, and especially the ability to raise children well, would be bad things? I don't even think that there is a more important skill than the ability to raise and understand children. And that this is not the most respected job in the world really is a shame.

So... appreciate your female skills. Your "illogical" emotional brain is a strength. Work with it, instead of suppressing it. Aren't those "illogical" things often also those that feel the best?
What do you think why they feel the best? Not because they are inherently wrong, for sure!
Allow yourself to just let the hormones reign. Cry like crazy, get angry, laugh, love, hate, play all your emotions. Only by allowing them, can you relieve that "hell".

And don't let anyone tell you that because you are starting fights for no reason, then after them suddenly are happy, you are crazy, or something like that. You are not. It's girl style. It's good. You are even allowed to call it fun! And if a male friend really understands your needs, you both can handle it without hurting your relationship. You can also even improve it.

Or as a web-economy business plan:
1. Find out who you *really* are.
2. Accept and love that one.
3. Be yourself. (That real you.) Don't bend yourself for others.
4. ...
5. PROFIT! ;) (Notice how all interactions with others, and your own life, start to improve.)