The hottest Human biology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

The Balloon That Wouldn't Come Down

Everything Is Amazing • 1887 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🔬 Science Earth Science Exploration Human biology Meteorology
  1. In 1862, two balloonists faced a terrifying situation when their balloon wouldn't come down, and they were rising to dangerous altitudes. They had to work hard to figure out how to descend safely without the proper equipment.
  2. Early ballooning was risky, but the people doing it were often well-prepared and knowledgeable. Their courage and resourcefulness in the face of danger helped advance the field of aeronautics.
  3. Even today, the sky is both common and mysterious to us. It's a reminder of how our atmosphere keeps us alive, and we should be curious about the science behind it.

The Genetic Time Machine: Neanderthals, genomics and hybridization priors

ideassleepfuriously • 982 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🔬 Science Genomics Evolutionary biology Anthropology Genetics Human biology
  1. 200 thousand years of isolation may not be enough for genetic incompatibilities to develop
  2. Genomics has revolutionized evolutionary biology by providing precise insights with massive amounts of data
  3. The mixing of Neanderthal and modern human lineages led to genetic incompatibilities and selection against Neanderthal-origin DNA in modern humans

E. Jean Caroll’s Nasty Little Game – the Animus of the Childless, Family-less Boomer.

Welcome to Absurdistan • 1572 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Sexual Health Family Dynamics Human biology Well-being
  1. The pursuit of wealth, power, and fame can lead some individuals into harmful and dangerous situations.
  2. The book 'Feminism Against Progress' explores the challenges faced by those who try to defy nature in pursuits like career success and family-building.
  3. Gen Z is showing a trend of rejecting societal norms around sex, birth control, and identity, signaling a shift in values.

The Goldilocks zone between inbreeding and outbreeding

ideassleepfuriously • 884 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🔬 Science Genetics Evolution Human biology Psychology Fertility
  1. The risk of producing abnormal embryos is highest in siblings, lower in first cousins, and lowest in third or fourth cousins.
  2. Inbreeding can lead to shared defective alleles and recessive disorders, causing inbreeding depression.
  3. Outbreeding can lead to genetic incompatibilities and higher rates of miscarriage, causing outbreeding depression.

We are ~100 watt biological machines

The Iteration Loop • 0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🔬 Science Energy Population Automation Robots Human biology
  1. Fertility rates are dropping globally, with India being the only top 20 GDP country above 2.05 and potentially falling below 2 as wealth increases.
  2. Energy consumption is crucial for quality of life and sustainability. Clean, portable energy sources are needed for a better future.
  3. Humans consume around 100 watts of energy daily, with comparisons to common energy uses like electricity, gasoline, and jet fuel. Understanding energy consumption per capita highlights the disparity in energy usage between countries like the United States and Somalia.
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