Vinci, perhaps best
known for painting the
Mona Lisa, produced
a drawing called the
Vitruvian Man. In it, da Vinci
depicted his idea of the perfectly
sized and proportioned male
body. But is this really what a
perfect body looks like? And
if it’s perfect, does that make
every other type of body flawed?
Or maybe those are the wrong
questions and the idea of a
“perfect” body is actually
what’s flawed. An Imperfect Man
is as long as what you would expect
to see in a man who is 6 feet 8 inches
tall. His legs are the length typical of
a man who is 5 feet 10 inches. Phelps
has long arms too. Like the Vitruvian
Man, most people have a wingspan
roughly the same as their height.
Phelps’ wingspan is 6 feet 7 inches,
three inches longer than his height.
His ankles are (reportedly) double
jointed, and thus extremely flexible.
And his feet are big—he wears size 14
shoes. So Phelps’ legs act like flippers
when he swims.
No one could argue that Phelps
has a perfect body in da Vinci’s
sense. But is it correct to say
it is imperfect? What does
“perfection” mean when we are
talking about human biology?
Does it even exist?
Consider Michael Phelps. The
winningest swimmer of all time,
Phelps earned 28 Olympic medals. His
body does not look like the Vitruvian
Man. In fact, Phelps’ body is quite
unusual. The best swimmers tend
to have long torsos and short legs.
Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches, but his torso What Is Physical
Perfection?
the animal kingdom. Imagine a
population of brown rabbits and
white rabbits in a snowy field. Under
these conditions, predators are less
likely to see and catch the white
rabbits. In a summertime field—all
brown soil and green and golden
plants—white rabbits are more
visible and easier to catch. Neither
white nor brown fur is perfect for
rabbit survival. Rabbits need different
Maybe perfection has more
to do with how a body works
than how it looks. How we
function actually depends
upon how well we fit into our
environment.
Here’s an example from the animal kingdom. Imagine a
population of brown rabbits and
white rabbits in a snowy field. Under
these conditions, predators are less
likely to see and catch the white
rabbits. In a summertime field—all
brown soil and green and golden
plants—white rabbits are more
visible and easier to catch. Neither
white nor brown fur is perfect for
rabbit survival. Rabbits need different bodies for different seasons. And
in fact, in some types of rabbits, fur
color changes with the seasons. Like
rabbits, all organisms, including
people, adapt to their environments.
The process of evolution selects for
the survival of organisms that thrive
in their specific environments. But
evolution isn’t engineering. Often,
imperfections that don’t affect
survival too badly get passed on
through the generations.
Odd Parts and Compromises People have plenty. Here are just a few
imperfections in the human body. Our
knees are less flexible than some of
our other joints, which makes injury
common. Unlike most other animals,
we cannot make vitamin C and need
to make sure we get it in our diets.
And our jaws are too small to easily
fit all our teeth, which is why wisdom
teeth usually need to be removed.
All our odd parts and functional
compromises exist because evolution
builds on what came before. Our
ancestors walked on four legs, not
two. Our knees are a compromise that
allow us to be bipedal. More recent
ancestors of humans lost the ability
to make vitamin C, but we figured
out a way to solve this problem with
a change in diet. Humans’ primate
ancestors grew bigger jaws than we
do, because they ate tougher foods.
Now our teeth are crowded. None of
these flaws are so serious that they prevent people from
reproducing, though.
Amazingly, most of
us function extremely
well despite these
flaws. Some of us
function spectacularly Variation as
an Element
of Success
Michael Phelps’
body is not perfectly
symmetrical or
balanced. His physical
variations, however,
may have given him
the raw materials to
be a close-to-perfect
swimmer. Phelps’ case is not unique;
elite athletes highlight dramatic
variability that provides them the
physical characteristics to approach
perfection in action. Usain Bolt, an
Olympic sprinter, has an abundance
of fast-twitch muscle fibers that make
him speedy and legs so long that it
takes him four to five fewer steps to
complete a 100-meter race than his
competitors.
Simone Biles, another Olympic gold
medalist, is both strong and small.
The combination is ideal for her sport of gymnastics. She may also have a
better-than-average ability to sense
where her body is in space, perhaps
making jumps, spins, and somersaults
a tad easier than for an average person.
No athlete is born with the skills
to win gold medals, though. Those
achievements require years of effort Using Variation to
Your Advantage
40
bodies for different seasons. And
in fact, in some types of rabbits, fur
color changes with the seasons. Like
rabbits, all organisms, including
people, adapt to their environments.
The process of evolution selects for
the survival of organisms that thrive
in their specific environments. But
evolution isn’t engineering. Often,
imperfections that don’t affect
survival too badly get passed on
through the generations.
Odd Parts and Compromises
our survival. Human variation has
allowed us to live in wildly different
environments—the tropics, deserts,
and the Arctic—and to develop
many different physical, intellectual,
and emotional talents. Not only is
there no ideal human body, but our
species also thrives because we are
different from one another, each of us
particularly suited for our own way
of living.
How might Michael Phelps,
Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles define
perfection? Perhaps they might say
that perfection, or close to it, occurs
in peak athletic performance. Their
physical traits certainly helped them
excel at their sports. However, it was
hard work, dedication, and training
that allowed them to soar.
How do you define perfection?
Maybe something about you
seems different. Can you combine
your unique physical, mental, and
emotional skills and your attitude in
a way that works toward your version
Da Vinci’s drawing of the Vitruvian Man of perfection?
combined mathematics and art. To
da Vinci, the Vitruvian Man depicted
ideal proportions. It was his image of
the perfectly formed man. Da Vinci is a
time-honored artist, but is there really
such thing as a perfect body?
No.
In biology, there is no such thing
as one ideal body. In fact, variation in
all living things, including us, is the
rule. This variation is essential for our survival. Human variation has
allowed us to live in wildly different
environments—the tropics, deserts,
and the Arctic—and to develop
many different physical, intellectual,
and emotional talents. Not only is
there no ideal human body, but our
species also thrives because we are
different from one another, each of us
particularly suited for our own way
of living.
How might Michael Phelps,
Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles define
perfection? Perhaps they might say
that perfection, or close to it, occurs
in peak athletic performance. Their
physical traits certainly helped them
excel at their sports. However, it was
hard work, dedication, and training
that allowed them to soar.
How do you define perfection?
Maybe something about you
seems different. Can you combine
your unique physical, mental, and
emotional skills and your attitude in
a way that works toward your version
of perfection
3 answers
The text discusses the concept of physical perfection, particularly in relation to the human body, using examples from both art and sports. Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" is highlighted as a representation of ideal human proportions, prompting questions about whether there is such a thing as a perfect body. It argues that perfection in terms of physical appearance is subjective and that the notion of perfection itself may be flawed.
The analysis extends to elite athletes like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles, whose physical characteristics differ significantly from the Vitruvian Man yet contribute to their extraordinary success in their respective sports. Phelps, for instance, possesses an unusual physique that includes long limbs which enhance his swimming ability, showcasing that variations in body types can lead to exceptional performance.
The text further elaborates on the role of evolution in shaping the human body, noting that imperfections exist but do not hinder survival. Our knees, dental structure, and inability to produce vitamin C are cited as examples of these evolutionary compromises. The text underscores the importance of diversity and variation in human biology, suggesting that it is these differences that have allowed humans to adapt and thrive in various environments.
In conclusion, the notion of perfection, particularly in a biological context, is reframed: rather than seeking an ideal body, individuals are encouraged to embrace their unique traits and skills. Athletic success is portrayed as a combination of physical characteristics and dedication, leading to the idea that perfection may be more about performance and individual achievement rather than conforming to an arbitrary standard. The reader is challenged to define their own version of perfection by leveraging their unique abilities and perspectives.
MAKE A INTROUDTION 6TH GRADEEEE
Sure! Here’s a 6th-grade level introduction:
Have you ever wondered what the perfect body looks like? Leonardo da Vinci, a famous artist, created a drawing called the "Vitruvian Man" that shows his idea of the ideal man with perfect proportions. But what does "perfect" really mean? Is it just about how someone looks, or is it more about how well they can do certain things? When we look at famous athletes like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and Simone Biles, we see that their bodies are unique and different from what da Vinci imagined. This makes us think about how each person’s body can be good at different activities. In this discussion, we will explore the idea of physical perfection, what it means for athletes, and why being different can actually be a great thing!
11 answers