How does food matter to human evolution? We could ask this guy?
Courtesy Lord JimWhat makes human beings so special? How did we evolve into an agriculture-developing, city-building, history-making, world-changing species that can live on every continent and even in outer space?
Scientists have been asking questions about our evolutionary trajectory and human "uniqueness" for as long as there's been science - and guess what? We still don't know the answer! Some of our best theories are explored by anthropologists in the PBS television series The Human Spark, airing throughout the month and also online at the PBS website. If you're curious, you might want to watch, but don't do it on an empty stomach! Many of the theories that anthropologists have developed to explain how we became human involve food.
That food and evolution would go hand in hand is not really surprising, since food is necessary to survival and an important and dynamic part of our environment. Did a search for nutritious plants and animals lead our ancestors to new environments, causing our species to adapt and change? Did hunting and eating meat mean the evolution of new physical characteristics? How has agriculture changed our environment and species over time? How will present and future foods change what it means to be human in the future?
Some evolutionary theories involving food look not just at what we ate, but how we ate it - namely the invention of fire and the use of heat to cook food. Think about it: our Hominid ancestors needed calories in order to develop into the big-brained humans we all know and love. How did they do it? And what did this mean for human evolution?
Sure, eating meat was an important dietary step, but cooking root vegetables can transform hard-to-chew or even poisonous plant parts into nutritious food that can be consumed out of season. With cooking, environments that would otherwise provide few nutritious options suddenly become bountiful. This change in diet may also have led to changes in body size and shape - even social structures! Large teeth and jaws were less desirable once food could be more easily chewed, and delaying the gratification of food until it could be cooked may also have meant that our species had to develop new social skills.
Those social skills - the same ones that mean you and I can now share a burger or beer without fighting each other for scraps - may be one of many "sparks" that makes us human.
If you live in the Twin Cities, you can meet an anthropologist and here how he thinks food impacted human evolution by attending tonight's Cafe Scientifique program in Minneapolis.
Tags : Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- I would love to become a marine biologist but don't get thinking I'm a girly girl because I'm totally into goth and stuff. I want to be a marine biologist and I want to get into sharks, dolphins, and eels.
- Dream jobs:
- Marine Bioligist
- About me
- Hi guys! I was born in Yakima, Washington and now live in Batavia, IL.. I have 16 pets, and I think I am very friendly. I know alot about science,and you can ask me anything, even if it's personal because I'm great at helping people get through things and I give awesome advice! Talk to me! I am awesome!
Science in my life
- What is science to you?
- COOLNESS
- I would invent
- A gadget so you could hear what animals are saying.
- Technology I love
- ???
- Technology that drives me crazy
- ???
- What technology do you use every day?
- Lights, Cars, and all that other STUFF!
- What math do you use every day?
- ALOT OF WAYS IF I WROTE THEM ALL DOWN IT WOULD TAKE UP A MILLION PAGES!
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- 1. i am pretty good at computers-but would like to learn more (ie. html)
2. i would like to learn more about photography (took a course in college, but would like to take another)
3. calligraphy
- Dream jobs:
- work w/ kids!
Education and work
- Website
- not mine-but my favorite :)
- About me
- i'm from northern mn(two harbors) & grew up right on lake superior. i love the lake-and miss seeing it everyday. i love nature and was very lucky to grow up on the north shore-its a beautiful place! i moved to the cities about 2.5 years ago-wanted to get away from home but still be close enough to be able to visit quickly&easily. i love to hang out w/ friends&am very close to my family as well. i'm the oldest in my family-i have 2 step-sisters and a 1/2 brother. i graduated from umd (U of M Duluth) w/ a degree in sociology and minors in french and philosophy in '04.
Science in my life
- Technology I love
- computers/internet-its crazy the amt of information that can be found so quickly and easily!
- What technology do you use every day?
- computers, internet, cell phone, gps/maps on my blackberry, etc
- What math do you use every day?
- budget, gas milage, cooking, @ work, nutritional info, etc
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- Psychology, because it's what I would like to have as a profession. I've wanted to be a psychologist for quite sometime, because It really interests me.
- Dream jobs:
- My Ultimate Dream Job would have to be a Professional Baseball Player. I have always wanted to be a baseball player, and I think I have the capability to become one. If I do become a baseball player, I would love to play for the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies, or the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- About me
- I'm a senior at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm seventeen years old. I'm currently looking at potential college choices right now. A couple colleges are U of Tennessee, U of M, Cal St. Fullerton, and Arizona St.. I'm very into sports, and My favorite sport is Baseball. I like to cook, read, and sew. My Favorite book is Harold and The Purple Crayon. My favorite food is Lobster and Crab Legs.
Science in my life
- I would invent
- a way to conserve all of our natural resources, so we would never run out of them.
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- Playing the piano. I used to play when I was 7 years old for about 5 years. I took lessons at the Sabathani Center and even got to play in a concert for family and friends when I was 12. I would also like to play the harp and guitar better.
I'd like to take more lessons to become more proficient. - Dream jobs:
- I like a position where I get to work directly with customers and employees. I enjoy mentoring and coaching employees to help them develop and be able to position them for a role that meets their career objectives. I get a lot of satisfaction out of knowing that I've helped customers or employee meet their needs or goals.
I also like roles where I get to work with young adults or children - helping them aspire and achieve their goals and dreams.
I enjoy working with children who have health needs - it's always so inspiring to me to see the strength of these children as they work hard to overcome their health issues/obstacles.
- About me
- I grew up and spent most of my life in South Mpls and moved to northern MN when I was in 10th grade. Some of the schools I attended were: Horace Mann Elementary, Bryant Jr High, Ramsey and Mpls Central (which was torn down quite a few years ago). I have worked at GE Capital Fleet Services for 28 years in various roles. I am married and have two grown children. A daughter Jen who graduated from college in 2007 with a major in graphic design from Winona State University and a son, Tom who is completing his last year at UND (University of North Dakota) majoring in Industrial Technology. Tom recently participated in a college job fair and interviewed with several employers looking for graduating seniors in the engineering field. Tom was offered a job starting in May in northern Minnesota. I also have two cats - Missy Lou and Charlie. I am also a Sr. Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I participate in many community or volunteer events since I like working with and meeting new people. I believe in the Golden Rule - treat others as you would like to be treated. I start each day in a positive way by 'choosing my attitude' and setting the stage for how my day is going to go.
Science in my life
- What is science to you?
- Science to me is trying to figure out what is the logical reasoning why something exists or occurs. I've always been intrigued by science (one of my favorite classes in school) - that and biology.
- I would invent
- I would invent a car that has a lever that you pull that raises your vehicle up and over all the other cars on the freeway during rush hour so I can cruise along and get to work in 20 mins instead of 45 mins to an hour.
- Technology that drives me crazy
- I love computers and blackberries/cell phones but sometimes they can drive you crazy when you need to fix them and don't know how to fix it yourself.
- What technology do you use every day?
- I love ATM or check cards. It's so nice to 'pay at the pump', pay for groceries with a card rather than writing out a check, completing purchases on-line. I do love Blackberries since as a manager when someone needs to get ahold of you, they can email or call you and you get the message right away. You also don't have to log on to your computer to check email messages. Everything is at your fingertips with a Blackberry.
- What math do you use every day?
- As a manager, we report out on 'metrics' - which is how we measure an employees performance. We use a lot of calculations, excel, dashboards which show the results of how an employee performed for a given time period (kind of like a report card). With excel, we use a lot of formulas or formula wizards to add up columns of data.
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- Mountaineering, Animal Training, Writing Poems, Photography
- Dream jobs:
- Wildlife film-maker, Chemical Engineer, Economist
Science in my life
- What is science to you?
- Think about something that does not exist and using critical analysis process make it a reality.
- Technology I love
- Sony PlayStation 3 Nintendo Wii Computers and microcontrollers
- Technology that drives me crazy
- Anything that is overcomplicated and I can see a very simple way to do it.... like, creating a secure wireless network around your home, sharing and printing files within the home networking, connecting your TV to DVD, DVR, Stero System and video game console, improving the performance of Windows XP system by stopping all the unnecessary programs running on your computer
- What technology do you use every day?
- My 2 desktop PCs at home and 5000 in the office!!! Playstation 3 Personal Finance software Internet to read the news
- What math do you use every day?
- What percentage of my income was spent on what? Am I driving faster than 10% of the posted limit :) How much will I save by using this %off coupon on the purchase that I am making?
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- Speaking other languages, Dancing, and Cooking
- Dream jobs:
- Running my own business, international journalist, travel show host
- About me
- I try to learn something new every day and am very curious, so I have a tendency to ask many questions. I loved going to school, and if I could afford it, I would be a professional student. I enjoy getting to know new people and hearing their story.
Science in my life
- I would invent
- Someway for the dryer to fold laundry, because it would be a tremendous time saver.
- Technology I love
- My DVR - because it makes TV watching so much more fun since I can fast forward through commercials, and I never miss a show that I want to watch.
- Technology that drives me crazy
- My microwave, because it has the ability to cook like an oven (GE Advantium technology), but I am afraid that if I use it like an oven, that I will break it.
- What technology do you use every day?
- Computer programs and sofware, phones, calculators, TV, DVR's, GE Harmony washer and dryer set (they communicate to optimize functions), etc.
- What math do you use every day?
- I use it at work to evaluate changes in companies' financial trends, to determine exposure levels and margins, and to make decisions. I use it at home to balance my budget, in financial planning, when I go shopping, and when of course, when I cook.
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- 1. i am pretty good at computers-but would like to learn more (ie. html)
2. i would like to learn more about photography (took a course in college, but would like to take another)
3. calligraphy
- Dream jobs:
- work w/ kids!
Education and work
- Website
- not mine-but my favorite :)
- About me
- i'm from northern mn(two harbors) & grew up right on lake superior. i love the lake-and miss seeing it everyday. i love nature and was very lucky to grow up on the north shore-its a beautiful place! i moved to the cities about 2.5 years ago-wanted to get away from home but still be close enough to be able to visit quickly&easily. i love to hang out w/ friends&am very close to my family as well. i'm the oldest in my family-i have 2 step-sisters and a 1/2 brother. i graduated from umd (U of M Duluth) w/ a degree in sociology and minors in french and philosophy in '04.
Science in my life
- Technology I love
- computers/internet-its crazy the amt of information that can be found so quickly and easily!
- What technology do you use every day?
- computers, internet, cell phone, gps/maps on my blackberry, etc
- What math do you use every day?
- budget, gas milage, cooking, @ work, nutritional info, etc
Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- 1. Photography
2. - Dream jobs:
- 1. Helping families or kids that are on the Autism Spectrum. Creating vacations, camps, support groups
2. Leading the United Way or an organization focused around non-profit child support
- About me
- My name is Julie Opheim. I have been married for 14 years with 2 girls, Hannah (10) and Amelia (8), and 2 dogs, Dexter and Harley. We live in Maple Grove, Minnesota. I have been at GE Fleet Services for 20 years holding a variety of positions in many different areas of the business including, Operations, Customer Service, Sales and Consulting. I love spending time with my friends and family swiming, having BBQ'S or going on outings around the twin cities. We also like to go up to our family lake home on lake superior as often as we can. I also enjoy exercise, cooking and volunteering my time in the community.
Science in my life
- What is science to you?
- The understanding of everything that can be explained with data and science
- Technology I love
- Technonlgy in vehicles and entertainment.
- Technology that drives me crazy
- Remote controls for TV'S
- What technology do you use every day?
- Most everything. Computers at home and for work, Black Berries, Cell Phones, IPods, etc..
- What math do you use every day?
- I use math everyday in pretty simple ways. At work we use Math to measure our performance, customer satisfaction, growth strategies and how we need to improve our porcess. At home, I help my girls with Math home work, create and try to manage to a budget to pay for groceries, gas, mortages, etc..
Tongues of flame lick the
Meat which will power our brains:
Cooking made us smart
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