We're evolving too slowly for the world we've built, according to science
2 days ago
- #environmental health
- #human evolution
- #chronic stress
- Human biology struggles to keep pace with rapid industrialization and technology, leading to chronic stress-related health issues.
- A study from the University of Zurich suggests that rapid environmental changes in the Anthropocene era are impacting human mental and physical health.
- Declining global fertility rates, rising chronic inflammatory conditions, and other health trends indicate human adaptation struggles since the Industrial Revolution.
- Urban environments introduce new stressors like noise, pollution, processed foods, and sedentary lifestyles, which are novel for human physiology.
- Chronic stress from modern life triggers ancestral biological responses without an 'off' switch, leading to health problems like anxiety and chronic diseases.
- Industrial achievements have improved wealth and healthcare but also negatively affect immune, cognitive, physical, and reproductive functions.
- Global sperm count and motility decline may be linked to environmental hazards like pesticides and microplastics.
- Human adaptability is evident, but biological adaptation is slow, taking tens to hundreds of thousands of years.
- Solutions include rethinking our relationship with nature, creating sustainable environments, and spending more time in natural spaces.
- Researchers emphasize the moral imperative to address these challenges using financial and intellectual resources.