1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: brain Stuff. I'm Lauren vog Obam and this is a 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: classic episode from our archives and from our prior host, 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Christian Sager. Today's topic may or may not have been 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: inspired by his pervasive love of the X Men. Are 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: humans still evolving? Welcome to brain Stuff. I hope you 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: survived the experience. I'm Christian Sager, and I'm the best 8 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: there is at what I do. And today I'm going 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: to tell you how human beings are still evolving. But 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: into what I mean, like, where are cool mutant powers 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: that cause fear and hate in those were sworn to protect? 12 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: Where's my organic steel skin or my optic I beams? Well, 13 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: contrary to some professor's assertions, evolution does not leap forward. 14 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: Most experts agree that to give rise to a new 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: species like mutants, we needs some kind of geographic isolation 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: from other humans. Otherwise, cross breeding makes it less likely 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: that mutations will be established in our gene pool, and 18 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: with a densely packed planet full of planes and cars, 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: it's highly unlikely we're going to find that kind of seclusion. 20 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: Think of it this way. Genetic mutations are only passed 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: down if they afford us some kind of benefit through 22 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: natural selection, that doesn't mean we've stopped evolving. In fact, 23 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: over time, we've already developed powers well sort of like 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: how about the power to drink milk or fight disease? 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 1: Because these, along with tiny teeth and small brains, are 26 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: the mutant powers most of us are born with. Let's 27 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: start with the milk powers, otherwise known as lactase persistence. See. 28 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: Milk contains a sugar called lactose, and people need an 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: enzyme called lactase to digest it. Most manimals lose this 30 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: enzyme after they stop breastfeeding, but certain human populations have 31 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: evolved so their lactase persists, allowing the digestion of milk. 32 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: This was nutritionally advantageous, especially when we domesticated cows and goats. 33 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: Now this genetic mutation is carried by more than of 34 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: people of Northern European descent. Researchers have also found signs 35 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: of another set of human mutations that were devoted to 36 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: fighting off infectious diseases. Afflictions like malaria or tuberculosis used 37 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: to mean bang, you're dead, but over the last forty 38 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: thousand years we evolve to be more resistant to disease 39 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: because our ancestors happen to have the right genes to 40 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: fight off these viruses and bacteria, our mutant power to 41 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: resist disease may not last much longer. However, as we 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: become more dependent on medications for survival, our immune systems 43 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: will slowly weaken. The more that pathogens are defeated by drugs, 44 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: the less our body will need the internal functions to 45 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: withstand them. This is not to say that modern medicine 46 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: or vaccinations are bad, because without them we'd see a 47 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: huge increase in disease related death, which I'm going to 48 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: assume you also think is a bad thing. So maybe 49 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: milk powers or anti disease genes aren't what you were 50 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: hoping for. What about smaller jaws and less teeth. Our 51 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: ancestors had huge jaws so they could chew on tough 52 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: foods like roots and nuts, and wisdom teeth helped them 53 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: replace their worn down pearly whites from tearing meat apart 54 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: with no quarter asked and none given. But today our 55 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: food is softer, easier to chew, and we use utensils 56 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: to cut the portions we put into our mouths. Consequently, 57 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: our jaws got smaller, our teeth are half the size 58 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: they used to be, and we don't really need wisdom 59 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: teeth anymore. They're already gone in some ethnic groups, and 60 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: many predict they'll disappear entirely. Now. I don't need telepathy 61 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: to know that you think these are really lame powers. 62 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: How about one more mutation. Did you know that our 63 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: brains have been shrinking for the last thirty thousand years. 64 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: Some researchers think this means we're getting dumber, because the 65 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: safety of modern society doesn't require intelligence for survival, but 66 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: others argue that smaller brains just mean they're more efficient. 67 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: Maybe our wiring up there takes up less room because 68 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: it's faster, like when you get a newer, smaller phone 69 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: that has better RAM than your old one. Hopefully, as 70 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: my brain reaches peak efficiency, I'll be able to focus 71 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: the totality of my psyche into some kind of weapon. 72 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,679 Speaker 1: Today's episode was written by Christian and produced by Tyler Clang. 73 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio's How 74 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. If you miss Christian and want to hear 75 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,559 Speaker 1: more about the X Men, check out his podcast about 76 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: the culture of pop culture, super Context and For more 77 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: on this and lots of other topics, visit our home 78 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: planet hows toff works dot com plus for more. Podcast 79 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: for my heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 80 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H