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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.'"

3 of 397 comments (clear)

  1. Re:at what point did humans turn nigger/white etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yes. When God created us, we were all black. Then the devil came along and caused some of us to degenerate and loose colour.

  2. Re:at what point did humans turn nigger/white etc by tacarat · · Score: 0, Troll

    I adore this post.

    --
    "Common sense will be the death of us all"
  3. Re:Nose picking? by SlashWombat · · Score: 1, Troll

    Not to mention the taste is out of this world.