Close Encounters with Humankind by Sang-Hee Lee

Author:Sang-Hee Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2017-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

Human civilization in exchange for back pain

Walking on two feet wasn’t all pain and no gain. Thanks to bipedalism, humanity gained another uniquely human trait: toolmaking. Bipedalism freed our hands and arms from locomotion. The free hands and arms could now make and use tools.

Furthermore, once the upper body was freed from locomotion, the diaphragm was freed as well. Breathing was no longer constricted by movement, so vocalization became possible. And vocalization enabled language. In this way, the foundation of human culture and civilization—tools and language—was complete.

One could also say that bigger brains are a result of bipedalism—perhaps the greatest achievement of bipedalism. In order to make and use tools, advanced cognition is also necessary, which is associated with bigger brains. The brain, however, cannot simply become big on its own. The brain is an organ made of fat, which requires a diet high in calories, in the form of fat and protein. This kind of diet is possible only with a strategy that allows for the regular procurement and consumption of high-quality food (meat) using the technological innovation of tools. All these interrelated components could be possible only after bipedalism was established.

While walking on two feet, humanity could dream of culture and civilization, but at the cost of back pain, heart disease, and dangerous childbirth. Take a moment to stand up from your seat and stretch for your heart and lower back, our sacrifices for humanity. And while you’re at it, how about a thank-you message to your mother? Use one of those tools of civilization—whether a phone call, a text message, or a post on the web—that we acquired in exchange for the mother’s pain of childbirth.

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