We think we are independent and self-willed, totally in control of our actions. Yet, like all animals and other forms of life, we are largely unconscious responders to interior and exterior influences. Our reflexes keep us alive but we are largely unaware of their activities. And even when we focus on a particular reflex-based response we usually cannot prevent or delay it.

Take for example, the reflex that closes or opens the diaphragms in our eyes according to the level of light; or deeper breathing in response to exercise or breathing air with a lower concentration of oxygen. Then there is the suite of reflexes that keep us upright when walking or running, and the rapid withdrawal of the arm when a finger is injured. And of course you can try to prevent urination when your bladder is full, but the emptying reflex will win in the end!

Other animals are as dependent for their survival on reflexes as we are, and most of their behaviour is determined and shaped by reflexes. Life is largely a series of responses to reflexes controlling hunger, sleep, mating, births, rearing young, threats, contact with water, injury and so on. We can be conscious of some of our reflex behaviours and perhaps exert a little control over them, but in the main we sail through life oblivious of the innate activities that keep us alive. Death can be viewed as a complete failure of life-supporting reflexes.

The question is, do reflexes contribute to our behaviour ? How about our responses to meeting strangers, people of different ethnicity or skin colour, angry people, people with severe disabilities, small children, crowds, strong criticism, unfamiliar animal species and insects, strong smells and sounds, thunder and so on. How much of our social interaction is based on unconscious reflexes and how little on learned behaviours? It would pay us to reflect more about our our reflexes.

Think about our early ancestors who lived before the development of agriculture. They are thought to have existed as isolated bands of related people, roaming their lands taking advantage of what resources became available and making the tools and weapons needed for their survival. Life would have been shaped by behaviours which had evolved over millennia and customs which had been developed to suit the circumstances including occasional interactions with other groups. There may have been spiritual beliefs associated with the seasons and the phases of the moon, but we will never be aware of them. All we can say is that their rules would have been developed to match what they valued and to fit their circumstances.

And this process of developing behaviours, customs and rules to suit current circumstances has continued throughout history. Even the rules and strictures inherent to faiths and beliefs, supposedly handed  down by ‘God’, were ‘revealed’ (ie created) by religious leaders to suit the current circumstances. All rules and regulations. ethics and morals are man made. There are no universal laws, only behaviours and restrictions which are approved of by those who need them to live safe and predictable lives. Furthermore, no set of rules can be ‘more true’ than any other, only more or less appropriate to the circumstances.

Unfortunately, in these times, because of the regular movements of people around the world, various sets of rules which were originally developed to meet local circumstances, and therefore often differ widely, meet and clash. Contradictions between moral, ethical and legal systems continue unresolved because they are often associated with particular religious or nationalistic beliefs. The most that has been achieved is a set of common values – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A better solution would be for all of us to accept that rules and regulations are human in origin and then formulate a new set to resolve the current problems of the world – refugees, disparity in wealth, religious conflicts, racial disharmony, global warming and extinction of species. We surely need to create new rules and behaviours to suit us, now.

We behave as though we are masters/mistresses of the Universe and our arrogance may be our undoing. What are we really?

Homo sapiens (joke?) is a species which, until very recently in geological terms, comprised isolated groups of opportunists surviving in a hostile environment, feeding on whatever plants, roots and fruit became available, plus animal protein from an occasional kill or the abandoned prey of a superior carnivore. Only recently has the further development of a type of brain which can think and plan allowed we humans to survive in ever greater numbers and shape our surroundings to suit ourselves. It remains to be seen whether this evolutionary anomaly will persist and we survive our destructive tendencies.

For, despite all our bravado and self-belief, we are still confined to the fragile surface of a minor rocky world and totally dependent on the energy radiating from our star, the Sun. And this unremarkable star is only one of a billion in the Milky Way galaxy, and our galaxy one of an uncountable myriad in the Universe. Despite all this, and even with the knowledge of our insignificance, we continue to boast our relevance. Furthermore, not content with claiming to be superior animals, we invent stories and beliefs that claim to explain our existence, and how we are the most important beings in the Universe. And then we fight amongst ourselves over the relative importance of natural differences in skin colour and sexuality.  Life has likely been a one-off event in the Universe, and H.sapiens a bizarre outcome of primate evolution. Isn’t it time for a little humility?

 

We think of ourselves as independent creatures, acting and moving separately and only occasionally interacting with other humans, animals and the environment. But this is a misunderstanding.  We are protected by several surfaces which are in constant and intimate contact with outside influences. Let’s take them one at a time:

The skin This protects most of the body by being flexible and capable of healing after a minor injury. It also produces secretions which are waterproof and assist in the healing process. The skin responds to and is the first line of protection against attacks by insects, trauma, chemicals and radiation. There are friendly bacteria living on the skin which may assist in preventing infections.

Other exterior surfaces (and their protective processes), such as the corneas at the front of the eyes (tears), the ear canal (wax) and interior of the nose (secretions), are all liable to attack by outside influences and have protective mechanisms in place.

The mouth is especially at risk, is quick to sense potential damage from sharp objects and damaging chemicals, and its lining heals rapidly. Once again there is a normal colony of bacteria in the mouth which may have a protective role.

The lungs are in constant contact with the outside world. Air, first filtered through the nose and over the sticky surfaces of the trachea, rushes into the innermost crevices of the lungs carrying with it a wide variety of wind borne dust and smoke particles, pollen grains and spores of fungi. Remarkably, most are trapped and removed by the mucous escalator which carries them up to be swallowed and harmlessly passed in the faeces. There is evidence, however,  that very small particles, such as those produced by the burning of diesel fuel, are not rejected and can cause long term damage. Viruses, also, cannot be easily eliminated, hence the ease with which flu and other respiratory ailments can be spread.

The colon lining is another surface which is constantly in touch with non-human life. The colonic bacteria have evolved to assist us with the breakdown of otherwise indigestible substances, and they are in intimate contact with the lining of the colon. The colon lining may assist with the nutrition of these friendly bacteria and it absorbs the substances which the bacteria produce. We have yet to fully understand the use to which our bodies make of these bacterial substances. It is also likely that a healthy colony of our friendly bacteria prevent us being attacked by any dangerous bacteria which make their way to the colon.

We have evolved to cope continuously with and mostly resist many external dangers. The lesson is to know how this occurs and not interfere with or damage the protective processes. The use, for example, of caustic soaps and disinfectants can remove the protective secretions, and some of the friendly bacteria, from the the skin and leave it more open to infection. And the integrity of the lining of the colon, and ultimately our health, depends on keeping the friendly bacteria therein properly fed and active. We cannot avoid being in contact with and influenced by our environment, but need a better understanding of how the human animal has evolved to cope with the daily intrusions on our integrity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The human animal has evolved as a thinking animal, yet too often there is an entrenched lack of thinking. ‘Beliefs’ and ‘faith’ have been the cause of much misery in this world via ‘true believers’ opposing and trying to eliminate what are, to them, different and unacceptable beliefs, actions and behaviours. Belief or faith implies a lack of thinking and a refusal to question rigidly held views. As an example, a recent radio report described the problems of transgender people needing to seek asylum in the USA. In certain countries in Central Asia to be gay or transgender is completely unacceptable, and such individuals are liable to exclusion from their families, and in danger of being attacked and possibly killed by others in the community. Their only salvation is to leave their country of origin and seek asylum elsewhere. The animosity usually arises out of certain beliefs or cultures which regard anyone who is different from the norm as unacceptable in society.

The problem in this case is one of belief based on the interpretation of religious texts and simplistic wishful thinking. How convenient it would be if every baby born were unequivocally female or male. Convenient, that is, for lawyers and priests, administrators and politicians. Then people could be sorted, registered, legislated for, and married without fuss or fear of error. But nature ain’t like that! Variety and non-conformity is normal – ask any biologist, farmer or veterinarian. And over millennia, it is the odd individual who takes evolution in a new direction. Even the precocious development of the human brain had to start with one individual born with an additional neural competence which led to superior survival skills.

Most advanced populations are slowly, albeit reluctantly, acknowledging that some people are different from the prescribed norm. Homosexual males and females are accepted as such and gay couples now allowed to marry; transexuals can identify themselves as such and, if they wish, be treated to become either male or female; children born autistic are now valued for their special skills, and so on. But these advances in the acknowledgement and tolerance of diversity have been hard won, and are under constant threat from the narrow views of ‘true believers’.

I suggest a change of focus. Instead of the slow and reluctant progress in the tolerance of difference why not view the human species from a different angle? There will always be variation in anatomy, physiology, neural structure and sexual inclination in humans, as in all species. So let us value this diversity, identify our strengths and encourage everyone to make a worthwhile contribution to society. It is time to acknowledge and celebrate what we are born to be; unrestricted by what the faithful believe we should be.

 

Tribalism is dangerous, sometimes deadly, as has been shown in the Christchurch massacre. Claiming superiority as a member of a distinct group, in this case as a ‘white supremacist’, is irrational and inhumane. There have been subdivisions of Homo sapiens since we evolved from our hominin predecessors, resulting from isolation in various parts of the world, and the effects of different climates. On occasions the physical  differences between tribes have occasioned violence, but in the main, we have tolerated each other and existed peacefully. Humans have even interbred with other species – our genes include contributions from Neanderthals and Denisovans.  However, the rise of nationalism during historical times has served to identify difference and create prejudice, leading to catastrophic wars and much human misery.

Luckily, most human interactions over time have been non-threatening and respectful – essential qualities for the stability of towns and for trade. The latter brought together people with many different origins and inevitably there was interbreeding. As I have pointed out before, the ‘British’, and in fact all Europeans, are what we would call ‘cross-breds’ when applied to domestic animals. Genetic analysis reveals ancestors who came from many earlier tribes: Phoenecians, Picts, Celts, Romans, Vikings, Berbers, Persians, etc. Unlike farmers, and the breeders of dogs and horses, there has been no deliberate attempt to produce highly specialised and distinctive humans – in contradiction to the beliefs of white supremacists, we are all mongrels!

Recent movements and events throughout the world: Brexit, Trump’s Mexican wall, white nationalism, and the persecution of minorities, for example, create problems by preferencing particular groups of humans and devaluing others, leading to conflict, and the abuse and displacement of whole populations. Multiculturalism is successful because it mixes people of diverse origins, who come with a wide variety of ideas, and keen to contribute to their communities. Attempts to divide, differentiate and evaluate the various tribes are destructive and unproductive. In someone else’s words: Instead of looking for the differences between groups of people we should acknowledge and celebrate their similarities. After all, we are still only one species.

 

 

There is no lack of advice on what one should do to stay healthy. Most of the advice concerns the need for good nutrition and exercise. However, there is much debate about what kind of exercise, how long it should last and when it should occur. All this advice has the aim of counteracting the disadvantages of our modern lifestyle – easily digested foods and reduced physical activity. A previous blog pointed out the need for a colon-friendly diet, that includes plenty of the substances which our colonic bacteria have evolved to work on. This blog addresses the other aspect – our lack of physical activity.

Our ancestors were constantly active – making tools, weapons and clothes, looking for food, digging for roots and climbing for fruits, gathering fuel for the fire, preparing food, hunting, moving to better environments carrying all their possessions, building shelters and so on. It was a life of almost constant movement except when sleeping. This was the norm for the early human animal. And recent research on longevity in modern humans has shown that those whose lives involve continual movement and frequent physical activity are the ones who live the longest.

Unfortunately for us, modernity is manifest as the development of labour-saving devices, technology that saves us time, and transport that needs no physical input. If the activity appears onerous someone will develop an app for it! We strive to avoid hard physical work and save time in order to sit down and watch screens. Having to regularly visit a gym or go for a jog is a nuisance – it interferes with ones leisure! The human animal did not evolve to be lazy; we need to organise our lives so as to be constantly active in order to survive.

We say: ”I will go to sleep” or to children: ”Go to sleep” as if this state is under our control, but sleep cannot be arranged at our convenience. Sleep cannot be willed, it just occurs. It is a physiological response to a need for rest. As you may well agree, willing yourself to sleep is ineffective – it happens when it happens. There is much discussion and anxiety about the need for regular sleep, about how it should last for 8 hours, and how it should coincide with our body clock. Many force sleep using chemicals. We hate for something so important to our existence and health to be out of our control.

Perhaps there is need for a new attitude to sleep. It is only another of our animal features, like keeping a normal body temperature, like breathing and hunger. But, as with so many other aspects of human existence, we yearn to be in charge. For example, we believe we need laxatives to ‘keep regular’, must use soap and moisturisers to protect the skin, take vitamins to live longer, and so on. However, many of our animal activities are not controllable: we breath, our hearts keep pumping, our body temperature is carefully monitored and controlled, hair keeps growing, skin cells are replaced and food is digested, all without conscious effort by us. Sleep is no different.

The most one can do to encourage sleep is to empty the mind of conscious thoughts – especially those concerning the need to sleep! A comfortable bed, a dark room and a lack of intrusive noise are all conducive to sleep, and avoiding thoughts about why it is not happening. Then just turn off that pesky human brain and become a tired animal.

 

 

 

No one can say when human animals first started to speak. The speaking apparatus – the cartilage of the larynx, the vocal cords and the tongue do not survive long after death; the shape of the skull of an ancient skeleton may reveal an expansion at the same place on the brain associated with speech in a modern human, but there are no fossil recordings of early speech. Did Neanderthals and Denisovans have language? All primates make noises to communicate, some use powerful calls to maintain their territories. So the structures which can give rise to voice had evolved long before there were hominids and humans: we have inherited them and adapted them further, not only to speak, but also to sing.

Our early ancestors needed to talk to each other for many reasons: to maintain relationships within the family group and tribe, to transmit information and the results of experience, to describe sources of food and of danger, and so on. But what came before actual language? They would have retained the primate ability to make a wide variety of sounds, from grunts to screams, and learned to combine them in a meaningful sequence so as to convey a message. Another form of communication is gesture – position and movement of arms, hands, head and body.

I can visualise my ancestors sitting around a fire and sharing their experiences using sounds and movement. Perhaps ‘Charades’ is one of the earliest games! Certainly I can imagine that song, in the form of combining simple melodies with regular beats using sticks and stones, was used to tell stories and inform the young. Language is complex because of the need to name objects, places, actions, wants and emotions and to put events in a time frame and therefore would have taken millennia to evolve. Perhaps song and theatre came first. What do you think?

Following on from my previous blog, let’s consider what we are, and through this understanding, find better ways to conserve ourselves – perhaps before we go extinct! We evolved away from the primate line to be upright, thinking animals: able to move long distances on foot, but also capable of exploiting habitats and opportunities through our innate curiosity, ability to solve problems and manipulative skills. We are in essence complex brains equipped with powerful legs and clever hands. A further aspect of our evolution has been to associate as families and in tribal groups.

Firstly, let’s think about legs and feet. We evolved to move in two ways: fast and slow. Fast, perhaps, to evade danger and capture moving prey; more slowly to travel long distances. Children run fast and can dodge and turn, and these abilities are developed further in some adolescents and young adults in games and athletics. From middle age on these human abilities are neglected by most people. Even in childhood, physical mobility is often compromised by too much time spent sitting and being passively transported. As for employing our legs in walking, this ability has mostly been neglected through the use of private and public transport.

So, in order to conserve ourselves, we need to walk more. This will strengthen the muscles of the legs and lower back and, in turn, allow for more powerful walking over long distances. And, as pointed out before, strong legs mean a more efficient circulation – the legs assist in returning blood to the heart. Furthermore, the strength of our leg bones is dependent on regular use in supporting our weight.

But we cannot neglect our feet. To keep them healthy they need to be free of shoes as often as possible. And the shoes we have to use to protect us from concrete and gravel need to be large enough to allow movement of the toes and free flexion at the ankle. When walking we need to pay attention to our gait – the process of moving each leg in turn. The weight-bearing leg needs to straighten at the knee, and the foot push off with the toes; the other leg reaching forward allowing the heel to meet the ground first and the foot rolling forward to the toes.

So if you are interested in sustaining the characteristics which you have inherited from your recent ancestors, you could start by looking after your legs and feet. Other aspects of human conservation will be covered in later blogs.