So sorry, pussies: human hands are meant for punching[views:8795][posts:37]__________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 7:58pm - largefreakatzero ""] http://m.newser.com/story/159692/our-hands-evolved-to-help-us-punch.html |
| ________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:06pm - Burnsy ""] But but but... I thought they were for painting. =( |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:17pm - Arrow NLI ""] Holy bad science, batman! I love how the correct answer is thrown in as the last sentence, attributed to "another scientist". |
| ___________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:35pm - Boozegood ""] Arrow%20NLI said:Holy bad science, batman! Here is the actual article published in the Journal of Experimental Biology: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/2/236.abstract |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:41pm - Arrow NLI ""] Again, it's bad science. As pointed out in the first article, I doubt that's the reason for the shape of our hand, rather the shape of our hand is the reason we fight with our fists. |
| ___________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:42pm - Boozegood ""] Arrow%20NLI said:Again, it's bad science. As pointed out in the first article, I doubt that's the reason for the shape of our hand, rather the shape of our hand is the reason we fight with our fists. Well then right a counter-article, submit it to a scientific journal, let a panel of your peers review it, get it published, and show him wrong. I guess I don't see why it is such a horrible hypothesis. I'm not saying it's 100% true, but I don't think your explanation counters it very well. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:44pm - Arrow NLI ""] Any is it me, or are they implying one should punch using the face of your fingers? Way to enforce the "science geeks can't fight" stereotype. ;) |
| ___________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:46pm - Boozegood ""] Arrow%20NLI said:Any is it me, or are they implying one should punch using the face of your fingers? Way to enforce the "science geeks can't fight" stereotype. ;) I didn't get that, I think they were implying that the thumb reenforces the fist at it's weakest point aka: where it 'connects' with the palm allowing pressure exerted on the front of the knuckles to be evenly dispersed without compromising the structural integrity of the first. This coupled with the 'curling under' effect of the fingers allows for a much stronger punch. If you were to make a 'fist' like that of other primates right now, ie. thumb along the side, fingers flat to the palm of the hand and punch something (or even just put pressure on the punching-area of your knuckles) it's a huge difference. It's the same hand position used when cracking your knuckles. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:51pm - Arrow NLI ""] Boozegood said:I'm not saying it's 100% true, but I don't think your explanation counters it very well. I'm not countering it. I'm pointing out the giant gaping hole in their science, as well as their incorrect analysis on how a fist works. Even if their test proved the fist was more efficient than the girl slap (read their experiment), how does that prove anything about evolution? We also use our knees, heads, elbows, and feet as weapons. Were those also primarily shaped by these uses? |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:54pm - Arrow NLI ""] Boozegood said: This coupled with the 'curling under' effect of the fingers allows for a much stronger punch. I'd disagree. Many martial arts, for example, use an open handed "punch" where the fingers don't curl into your hand. It shouldn't matter, either way, since most of the impact SHOULD be your knuckles, and landing a punch on your fingers will often result in a broken finger or two. I'm also noticing that the experiment was based on striking a regular/flat surface, and not a landscape of angles and protuberances like most human heads and bodies are. Otherwise they'd have noted said broken fingers a lot quicker. |
| ___________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 8:55pm - Boozegood ""] Arrow%20NLI said: Boozegood said: We also use our knees, heads, elbows, and feet as weapons. Were those also primarily shaped by these uses? It's not entirely unlikely that that could have been an influence. When taking a Muay-Thai knee for example; a slight turn of your hip-joint turns your knee from a relatively soft bludgeoning device into a very effect 'spear'-like weapon. A similar turn of your leg turns the soft front part of your shin into a re-enforced shield for defense, etc. I'm not saying that per-historic humans had this sort of concept of fighting style; but I am saying that our biology could have have developed favoring effective combat uses on it's evolutionary path; as with any other animal evolution. I don't see why we would be uniquely exempt. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 9:01pm - Arrow NLI ""] Boozegood said: but I am saying that our biology could have have developed favoring effective combat uses on it's evolutionary path; as with any other animal evolution, primarily predators. Again, body comes first. Then we adapted our fighting style to that body. Most compelling argument against these scientists? The primary reason our hands DO exist, coupled with our primary choice in weapons - go pick up a sword, stick, bat, etc... - our hands were built to grip, not fight. If evolution was effected this heavily by fighting, then we wouldn't be getting smaller over history. Especially compared to our nearest genetic relatives who are far, far, far faster, stronger, and better at fighting than we are. The problem with this entire theory these guys came up with is you'd need to find some compelling evidence of actual change in the development of the human hand over time. Instead, it's been pretty consistent throughout our history. Meanwhile the way we fight has changed a zillion times in that same history. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 9:02pm - Arrow NLI ""] PS - I'm not anti-punching I'm anti- shitty science |
| ________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 9:24pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] SCIENCE |
| ___________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 10:02pm - largefreakatzero ""] Clearly the "findings" are sketchy at best, but the point of my posting it was more to be mean to those who can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. |
| _________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 10:13pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] ^^ This can't be stressed enough. |
| _______________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 10:56pm - the_reverend ""] Arrowhead's point is what I would say. And I might not be able to fight my way out of a wet paper bag, but I could gather the fuck out of anyone. |
| _________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 11:06pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] ITT: humans evolved hands to break Aaron's camera |
| _________________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 11:11pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] also for playing guitar IN SPACE |
| _____________________________________ [Dec 20,2012 11:54pm - Alx_Casket ""] If hands evolved for fighting, why haven't scrotes evolved into something a bit more hardy? |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 3:04am - Arrow NLI ""] largefreakatzero said:Clearly the "findings" are sketchy at best, but the point of my posting it was more to be mean to those who can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. According to the article, if your ring finger isn't longer than your index finger you're a giant vagina. I pass the test. How's everyone else looking? |
| _______________________________ [Dec 21,2012 5:00am - ernie ""] This is exactly why I evolved arc emmiting arm spikes, science! |
| __________________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 7:37am - largefreakatzero ""] Arrow%20NLI said: largefreakatzero said:Clearly the "findings" are sketchy at best, but the point of my posting it was more to be mean to those who can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. According to the article, if your ring finger isn't longer than your index finger you're a giant vagina. I pass the test. How's everyone else looking? A-ok here. Got a strong 3/8" or possibly a 1/2" difference. I thought everyone's ring finger was longer than their index? |
| ______________________________ [Dec 21,2012 7:40am - Yeti ""] [img] |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 9:15am - arilliusbm ""] Ring finger is longer here. All of my toes (sans pinky) are the same length. WTF does that mean? |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 9:23am - Alx_Casket ""] :point: HOBBIT |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 9:34am - Frost_Oath ""] arilliusbm said:Ring finger is longer here. All of my toes (sans pinky) are the same length. WTF does that mean? You should see a doctor. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 9:35am - arilliusbm ""] Nah, it's been like that my whole life. People have just said it's troll feet but thats racist. |
| ________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 9:57am - Bilbo ""] arilliusbm said:Nah, it's been like that my whole life. People have just said it's hobbit feet but thats racist. |
| _________________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 11:02am - DestroyYouAlot ""] ITT: hobbit hands evolved for stealing |
| _____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 11:05am - arilliusbm ""] Hobbit? I dont know such creature. never heard. Are those the things that made me want to commit suicide in a movie theater last week? THATLL DO IT. |
| __________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 12:20pm - a duck ""] Fists are for pussies. Our webbed feet are much more effective at slappin a bitch when she bills off. |
| _________________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 12:43pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] ITT: duck penises are actually highly evolved... for rape. |
| __________________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 1:09pm - largefreakatzero ""] the_reverend said:Arrowhead's point is what I would say. And I might not be able to fight my way out of a wet paper bag, but I could gather the fuck out of anyone. Hey, don't sell yourself short. I bet you open a can of whoop-ass on a wet paper bag. Unless it was one of those cold-pack bags for ice cream, those are pretty tough. |
| ______________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 1:29pm - Garth Algar ""] DestroyYouAlot said:ITT: duck penises are actually highly evolved... for rape. [img] |
| ______________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 1:30pm - Garth Algar ""] well that didn't work |
| ________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 1:59pm - KEVORD ""] Our hands are highly evolved for jacking it. All things are invented to be sex objects. |
| ____________________________________ [Dec 21,2012 2:00pm - arilliusbm ""] Ban hands, they've ended countless lives. |