Super humans

摘要

Humans are remarkable in many ways, but in terms of physical attributes, we generally get out-muscled by other animals. Pound for pound, a chimp is about four times as strong as a human. Our jumping and gymnastic abilities are similarly weak, and we are sluggish sprinters. If there were an Animal Olympics, we would finish, feebly, near the bottom of the medals table. But let's not be so quick to write ourselves off. It turns out that there are two events in which we would challenge for gold. Both require talents that reveal our body to be a remarkable piece of machinery. What's more, without these physical abilities we might never have acquired the mental adroitness we prize so highly.