Researching the implications of downsizing the human species to better fit the earth.
According to a large-scale Mendelian randomization-phenome-wide association study* by the VA Million Veteran Program, height may be an independent risk factor for various common medical conditions. Traditional research into the influence of height on health is often confounded by environmental factors such as nutrition and…
In 1961, Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead demonstrated that normal human somatic cells possess a finite proliferative lifespan, which is governed not by chronological time but by the cumulative number of cell divisions. To protect critical genetic material from eroding, eukaryotic cells cap the ends…
During periods of low sea levels around 500,000 years ago, full-sized straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), which stood roughly 4 meters tall and weighed up to 10 tons, migrated to several Mediterranean islands. The elephants trapped on these islands started shrinking. On the mainland, being very…
Much of human height is determined by the micro-climate in the Epiphyseal plates of the long bones in our legs. They are size-relational wonderlands and the specific climatological conditions within these wonderlands decide if, when, and where, growth happens. The growth plate consist of translucent…
There is an interesting South African proverb that says: Don’t mistake a short man for a boy. This proverb implies that we consider size to be an indication of characteristics that are associated with children (inexperience, lack of strength, naievity, playfulness, innocence, dependence, curiosity, unconditional…
Tall Tales is a new series of stories that investigate our obsession with height. Throughout history there have been iconic moments, stories and situations that shaped the fundamental yet unfounded belief that taller is better. First up; the Potsdam Giants. The Potsdam Giants was a Prussian infantry regiment composed…
