by Lnfusion
On average, humans begin walking at approximately one year
of age. Our ability to learn how to walk exclusively on two legs, regardless of
age, is an astonishing feat in and of itself. The very act of walking has
allowed us to free up the use of our arms, and in turn, permits us to wield a
wide array of tools. Bipedalism not only liberates our arms, but the remainder
of our bodies as well. Instead of having our heads positioned parallel to the
ground like our quadrupedal relatives, humans have eyes perpendicular to the
world below, and thus, possess a broadened view of the world around us. Walking on two legs also consumes far less energy than
walking on all fours (or even knuckle dragging for that matter). As a result,
our minds are less occupied with the need of a constant meal, and are instead
left to wander and think about things other than food.
9 Fine Motor Skills
More than a handful of people here have suffered from a
broken wrist or finger, and most will agree that these types of injuries are
extremely debilitating (especially if you’ve incapacitated your dominant hand).
A broken hand would make everything from typing on the keyboard to making a
sandwich much more difficult to do. We must therefore remember to pay homage –
or at least be thankful for – the anatomical makeup of our arms. To start, we
should become aware of the importance of our opposable thumbs. Humans share
this feature with other primates meaning that we are all capable of using our
thumbs to touch any other digit on our hands, from index to pinky. “So what? Why is that so important?” You may ask. The answer
to that question lies in the fact that our hands have the ability to perform
fine/precise tasks such as gripping a pencil, or typing on a keyboard. Imagine
a world devoid of pencils and keyboards, or worse, a world abundant with
pencils and keyboards but humans being unable to use them. It would be a scary
world indeed.
8 Mathematics
Have you ever stopped to gape at the jaw dropping majesty of
some of humanity’s products of ingenuity? From the Great Pyramids and the
Eiffel tower, to the nuts and bolts holding your chair in place, people have
utilized their understanding of mathematics since the dawn of civilization
itself. Math has even been used as a tool for seemingly profound feats such as
calculating the escape velocity of our planet in hopes of one day overcoming it
(and we eventually did). Other than its vital application to engineering and rocket
science, we also make use of it in a more mundane, everyday fashion. Whenever
we are counting the change we’ve received from the store, or anticipating our
delayed arrival back from work, we are using mathematics.
7 Language
The origin of spoken language is shrouded in mystery and is
still a much-debated topic by scholars across the globe. The origin of written
language is also a topic of heated debate; however, most people agree that its
earliest roots stem from ancient cave drawings, as they are man’s first attempt
toward making a visual record of ideas. Much like many other things in this
world, language has taken countless steps to evolve from the rudimentary grunts
and cave drawings of antiquity into its present form. Humans have devised
thousands of spoken and written languages, which are still currently in use
today. Language has become ubiquitous within every corner of society in that we
employ our verbiage for one main reason, to communicate our ideas with others.
6 Nature
Long gone are the days of our agrarian ancestors who built
their lives around the understanding of the intricacies of nature. Civilization
has taken a turn from its grassroots heritage and has spawned into the
amalgamation of metropolises we live in today. Most people have displaced
themselves from the natural world in favor of a more urbanized one. Although
the city life does contain many positive aspects, like allowing people to
connect within a cohesive network, it is not devoid of caveats. For example,
people in general have become increasingly desensitized toward the world beyond
their microcosms. As pollution begins to perpetuate through our forests and
oceans, entire ecosystems could become ravaged and disfigured. The best thing
to do is to appreciate what is ‘out there’ and realize that we are ‘a part’ of
nature, and not ‘apart’ from it.
5 Cooking
What do chicken, beef, and nettles have in common? Yes, you
guessed it; they all need to be cooked before they can be safely eaten. Cooking
fires have been around for a large chunk of humanity as they extend as far back
as 250,000 years into our past. In our contemporary era, cooking comprises not
only of placing a slab of food over an open fire, but also boiling, steaming,
frying, baking and virtually any other process that prepares food with the
application of heat. Cooking allows us to take a once bacteria laden piece of
meat, and rid it of all of its toxins. (To eat a piece of chicken or beef raw
is no doubt a recipe for disaster). Over the years, we have become accustomed
to the taste and texture of cooked foods and could not imagine eating said
foods in their raw states. The knowledge accompanied by cooking has allowed us
to expand our menus and to truly get a taste of the world around us.
4 Medicine
If you have ever had a cast, a splint, or even a
vaccination, you have been introduced to the ways in which humanity uses its
knowledge of medicine. Everything from blood pressure pills to eyeglasses can
be considered forms of medicine. Frequently people forget the implications it
has on us and other organisms. Veterinary medicine for instance, seeks to apply
the medical knowledge procured throughout history in order to treat animals. The art of medicine has advanced by leaps and bounds since
the time of Hippocrates. From the archaic belief of the four humours, to the
discovery of the smallpox vaccine (and even other future endeavors such as
nano-technology), medicine has always been utilized for the outward benefit of
humanity.
3 Power
Did you wake up to the sound of an alarm clock this morning?
If you have, then chances are you’ve made use of electricity (unless you’re the
type to still use a wind-up alarm clock). The presence of electricity has been
around for far longer than humans have roamed the earth; in fact, the
properties of electricity predate the earth itself, going back to the inception
of the universe. However, it is the ability to harness electricity for our own
benefit that is truly remarkable. We have electricity to thank for the
operation of our computers, our central heating systems and even our alarm
clocks (for most of us that is). The modern world is riddled with electrical grids and power
lines seeking to distribute functional electrical current to every nook and
cranny of our households. The now commonplace notion that our planet is literally
connected by a series of grids would appear ludicrous (or even supernatural) to
our great-great-great grandparents. Ironically, we have them to thank for
laying down the foundation for what is now a truly electrifying era.
2 Memory
The Internet? What’s that? What day is it today? What did I
have for breakfast this morning? Most of you will not struggle to remember the
answers to the aforementioned questions. That is because you are able to
successfully draw upon past occurrences from your memory banks. Memory is still
seen as somewhat of an enigma and is thus, not yet fully understood. The
capabilities of human memory are as diverse as they are complex. Some people
claim to have exceedingly powerful memories while others are hindered by
neurological disability. Regardless of your position on the continuum of
memory, there are still ways to keep yourself sharp and primed to the best of
your abilities. For example, take a little time out of each day to exercise
your memory and jog the old neurons for a bit. It could be something as simple
as trying to remember the title of number 8 on this list, or something as
ambitious as trying to remember the order of a randomized deck of cards. Lastly, you must always remember that even “the dullest
pencil is better than the sharpest memory.” – Mark Twain.
If the thought is in danger of escaping you, make sure to
write it down somewhere.
1 Imagination
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the
wealthiest person in the world? What about the smartest, fastest, or strongest?
In fact, if you’ve ever wondered about anything, then you have been subjected
to the maelstrom of your imagination. Without it, humanity would be reduced to
nothing but a bunch of dull, languid belly-scratchers (okay, perhaps that statement
was overly hyperbolic). Then again, without imagination, we would not have
language, mathematics, medicine, or other such things on this list. We would
not possess the desire to test the limits of our cunning minds nor contain the
willpower to push the envelope of our physicality. Imagination is the ability
to take a vague, amorphous concept and transform it into a tangible reality. It
is something we have in all of us, waiting eagerly to be used to its fullest.
Source : http://listverse.com
No comments:
Post a Comment