Stay at home. Don’t visit friends and family, and don’t have them visit you. Keep clear of strangers. These don’t sound like particularly challenging instructions. Except, if you look at the news, at social media, or even out of the window at times, it’s clear that a lot of people are struggling with the whole ‘social isolation’ thing. Why? What could be difficult about not going to work and not engaging with others?
As it happens, everything. We, humans, are an incredibly social species, arguably more so than any other on Earth. Our brains have evolved for socialization in a variety of different ways, which means this social isolation instruction is a pretty big ask, with a number of consequences.
Our brains have evolved for socialisation
Why do humans have such big, smart, resource-hungry brains at all? There are a lot of theories around this, but one of the more prominent ideas is the ‘ecological dominance-social competition model’. This argues that early human tribes were so communal, so cooperative, so successful, that they neutralised all the natural factors that usually drive evolution. Predators? Finding food? Or mates? When you were born into a human tribe, none of these things were an issue – others took care of it, so they weren’t a threat to your survival, so ‘traditional’ natural selection was disrupted.
This story is from the September/October 2020 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September/October 2020 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW TO MASTER YOUR METABOLISM
Ready to welcome a leaner, healthier you? It's time for a metabolic makeover. With a few simple, research-backed changes, you can supercharge your body's calorie-burning
A BLUEPRINT FOR ANTI AGEING
Science says it's time to rethink - and take control - of our body's age. Here's how to slow, halt and potentially turn back your biological clock
THE BROKEN MIRROR
Body dysmorphia - the all-consuming obsession with perceived flaws in our looks - is sweeping the globe. One in five young people is thought to be affected. What can be done and how is tech changing the way we see ourselves?
SCROLL REVERSAL
Losing days by endlessly scrolling on your smartphone? You're not alone. Perhaps neuroscience can help us beat the urge
Going back to the moon
ARTEMIS AND A NEW DAWN OF LUNAR EXPLORATION
SAD CLOWN PARADOX: WHY TEARS OFTEN LIE BEHIND THE LAUGHS
Mental health issues are common among comedians and performing is just one way they can self-medicate
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: HOW COOKING CAN DAMAGE YOUR DNA
From roast dinners to scented candles, there are potentially harmful pollutants lurking in every home
FARM OF THE FUTURE
Join the BBC's Planet Earth III film crew and go behind the scenes in the city farm that's transforming fields into towers and running almost everything with robots
COULD ONE BOMB DESTROY THE WORLD?
How big a bang are arms manufacturers capable of creating?
THE THREAT OF DAY ZERO
Queues at public water taps could become normal. What can we do to avoid them?