Ten Things We Still Don't Understand About Humans

ParticleGirl writes "New Scientist has an article examining 10 human features (bugs?) that we still don't understand, like blushing, laughing, and nose-picking. There are some interesting, speculative evolutionary explanations listed for each. '[Psychologist Robert R. Provine] thinks laughing began in our pre-human ancestors as a physiological response to tickling. Modern apes maintain the ancestral 'pant-pant' laugh when they are tickled during play, and this evolved into the human 'ha-ha.' Then, he argues, as our brains got bigger, laughter acquired a powerful social function — to bond people. Indeed, Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford has found that laughing increases levels of endorphins, our body's natural opiates, which he believes helps to strengthen social relationships.'"

Re:#1

[Anonymous Coward]

The desire to be first

And the crushing despair that follows when one fails.

Missed one:

[ninjapiratemonkey]

Women.

Re:Nose picking?

[Anonymous Coward]

And let's not forget how much fun it is. Not to mention how it drives the ladies wild.

Quick...

[joocemann]

... smell my finger!

(explain that one)

Re:Missed one:

[joocemann]

It has already been understood. Women are da debbil, like that foosball.

Re:Nose picking?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, we do it because it tastes great

Re:Nose picking?

[PitaBred]

Aye. And it happens in children who are still not coordinated enough to figure out HOW to blow their nose. I'd love to get some grant money to study that...

Re:Memes

[Anonymous Coward]

Sociology is a legitimate science.

Re:Why do noses run?

[Knoeki]

Why does your nose run, but your feet smell? That's what *I* have been wondering.

Re:Nose picking?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you claim that children who pick their noses contributes to global warming somehow, you will get all of the funding you want.

Re:Nose picking?

[YrWrstNtmr]

Obligatory:
Why do gorillas have such big nostrils?

Because they have big fingers.

Re:Memes

[The_mad_linguist]

Perhaps 'meme' is a fnord.

'Meme' is a what?

You didn't finish your sentence

Re:Missed one:

[Sciros]

You can walk up to a girl, and literally say the biggest crap. If it creates the right feeling in her, it will work.

I disagree, I walked up to a girl, and indeed literally said "the biggest crap," and it didn't work.

Re:Nose picking?

[Profane MuthaFucka]

I think I've just discovered my next porn fetish. Women pulling impossibly enormous and elastic snots from their nose. Slowly.

Re:Teenagers?

[Anonymous Coward]

guy with a god-complex (literally) running around with a private army slaughtering people everywhere he went to prove he was bigger and better than his daddy

Are we talking about Bush?

Re:Nose picking?

[msheekhah]

I had my nose severeley broken, like in 7 places just on the left side.... had a tube up my nose for a couple of weeks after the surgery... my nose hair and skin grew into the gauze and when they pulled it out... OUCH... but my point is after that, I get the crusties all the time... those you can't do anything put pick them out... what I hate are the crusties that are all dry on the end you grab, but turn out goo on the other side...

Re:Nose picking?

[rishistar]

I'm a vegan you insensitive clod!

Re:Missed one:

[Anonymous Coward]

Try saying it again, this time with feeling

Nosepicking

[petrus4]

I can't speak for anyone else, but usually the only reason why that happens in my own case is if there's something in there that has hardened and is sticking into the wall of one of my nostrils, and it itches, or even hurts.

So to remove the pain, I remove the source of it. ;)

Re:Nose picking?

[lxs]

But you're missing out on a taste sensation and hours of fun.

Re:Laughter...

[zobier]

I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward

Unless your drink ends up on your monitor and keyboard.