Post by auntym on Feb 22, 2016 14:41:48 GMT -6
www.dailygrail.com/Humanity-Plus/2016/2/So-You-Think-You-Know-Superheroes
So You Think You Know Superheroes?
Posted by Martin J. Clemens
20 Feb 2016
By far, the fastest growing genre of movies and entertainment right now is that of the superhero epic. We have superheroes on the brain, it seems. It’s not surprising, really; hero worship has been an element of human society for many thousands of years. It’s what made us great hunters on the plains, it’s what spurred us to learn more and more about our environment, and it’s ultimately what led to our current ideas of religion and celebrity. We consistently elevate those we perceive as our betters to a position of cultural authority, whether they deserve such reverence or not. So, in a time like this, when it’s near impossible to participate in the conversations of the day without encountering someone who’s presented as a real life superhero – though perhaps without the powers – it stands to reason that this need we have to create a class of humans who are better than us would manifest itself on the big screen.
It is strange though, that the people among us who actually do have superpowers are often treated as freaks and pariahs. In fact, I’m betting many of you reading this weren’t aware that such people even exist. Of course, the Marvel and DC comic superheroes are larger than life, and that’s how they’re supposed to be. So you won’t see any (credible) cases of people flying, or teleporting, or lifting buses, but there are some people in this world who can do some incredible things.
There’s the Brazilian woman who cries crystal tears and no one knows why. And there’s the real life Ice Man, Wim Hof from The Netherlands, who can withstand the cold better than anyone. There’s also the deep diver and marathon swimmer, Dave Mullens, who can literally swim like a fish. Or how about the German boy who, because of a rare genetic disorder, makes most bodybuilders feel shame. There are lots of people out there who have what in the comic books would be called superpowers, but which in real life are more like disabilities. Take the math student who not only survived without 95% of his brain, but he functioned normally, and even excelled in his studies. And he’s not alone. There are several others, who, like him, are afflicted with hydrocephalus. Which is a condition that causes an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranial vault. They do have brains, but they’re drastically smaller than what’s considered normal. The space in their skull that would otherwise be filled with grey matter, is actually filled with fluid, which itself plays a crucial role in neurochemistry. The condition is rare, but it has been described by neuroscientists a few times in the last one hundred years, and they’re just as baffled by it as you and I.
Medical oddities notwithstanding (though most comic book superheroes are just that, medical oddities), there is potential for real superpowers to emerge from our steady evolutionary march through time.
Some time ago I discussed the possibility of a new species of human developing from extended space exploration. Specifically the MarsOne mission. When any group of a single species is separated from the main population, over time the two groups will evolve along different paths, eventually becoming distinctly different species. This is called speciation, and it happens all the time, and it could happen to us if a portion of our population were to permanently leave Earth, to make a new home on another planet – a planet with drastically different environmental conditions, such as different gravity values, atmospheric content, even radiation levels. Who knows how long it might take new selection pressures to push that group into a new evolutionary niche? Fifty generations? A hundred? A thousand? However long it takes, it will happen eventually (provided the group remains isolated from Earth’s population), and who knows how their genes will adapt to better suit that environment. Shouldn’t we consider the potential genetic fallout of space colonisation?
The same thing could actually happen here on Earth too, though the changes to the splinter group’s genetics might not be readily apparent at first.
CONTINUE READING: www.dailygrail.com/Humanity-Plus/2016/2/So-You-Think-You-Know-Superheroes
So You Think You Know Superheroes?
Posted by Martin J. Clemens
20 Feb 2016
By far, the fastest growing genre of movies and entertainment right now is that of the superhero epic. We have superheroes on the brain, it seems. It’s not surprising, really; hero worship has been an element of human society for many thousands of years. It’s what made us great hunters on the plains, it’s what spurred us to learn more and more about our environment, and it’s ultimately what led to our current ideas of religion and celebrity. We consistently elevate those we perceive as our betters to a position of cultural authority, whether they deserve such reverence or not. So, in a time like this, when it’s near impossible to participate in the conversations of the day without encountering someone who’s presented as a real life superhero – though perhaps without the powers – it stands to reason that this need we have to create a class of humans who are better than us would manifest itself on the big screen.
It is strange though, that the people among us who actually do have superpowers are often treated as freaks and pariahs. In fact, I’m betting many of you reading this weren’t aware that such people even exist. Of course, the Marvel and DC comic superheroes are larger than life, and that’s how they’re supposed to be. So you won’t see any (credible) cases of people flying, or teleporting, or lifting buses, but there are some people in this world who can do some incredible things.
There’s the Brazilian woman who cries crystal tears and no one knows why. And there’s the real life Ice Man, Wim Hof from The Netherlands, who can withstand the cold better than anyone. There’s also the deep diver and marathon swimmer, Dave Mullens, who can literally swim like a fish. Or how about the German boy who, because of a rare genetic disorder, makes most bodybuilders feel shame. There are lots of people out there who have what in the comic books would be called superpowers, but which in real life are more like disabilities. Take the math student who not only survived without 95% of his brain, but he functioned normally, and even excelled in his studies. And he’s not alone. There are several others, who, like him, are afflicted with hydrocephalus. Which is a condition that causes an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranial vault. They do have brains, but they’re drastically smaller than what’s considered normal. The space in their skull that would otherwise be filled with grey matter, is actually filled with fluid, which itself plays a crucial role in neurochemistry. The condition is rare, but it has been described by neuroscientists a few times in the last one hundred years, and they’re just as baffled by it as you and I.
Medical oddities notwithstanding (though most comic book superheroes are just that, medical oddities), there is potential for real superpowers to emerge from our steady evolutionary march through time.
Some time ago I discussed the possibility of a new species of human developing from extended space exploration. Specifically the MarsOne mission. When any group of a single species is separated from the main population, over time the two groups will evolve along different paths, eventually becoming distinctly different species. This is called speciation, and it happens all the time, and it could happen to us if a portion of our population were to permanently leave Earth, to make a new home on another planet – a planet with drastically different environmental conditions, such as different gravity values, atmospheric content, even radiation levels. Who knows how long it might take new selection pressures to push that group into a new evolutionary niche? Fifty generations? A hundred? A thousand? However long it takes, it will happen eventually (provided the group remains isolated from Earth’s population), and who knows how their genes will adapt to better suit that environment. Shouldn’t we consider the potential genetic fallout of space colonisation?
The same thing could actually happen here on Earth too, though the changes to the splinter group’s genetics might not be readily apparent at first.
CONTINUE READING: www.dailygrail.com/Humanity-Plus/2016/2/So-You-Think-You-Know-Superheroes