For a minor degree shift like that, I doubt it would require much in the way of biological engineering. Environmental exposure seems to do a lot just on its own. Look at people raised in Scandinavia vs. UK vs. the Mediterranean. While certain people definitely handle temperature extremes (hot and cold) better, exposure and natural acclimation do a lot on their own.
On Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 10:49 AM, Mega <masterstorm123@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
Some time ago, I read a blog post with one doing the maths that people could save a LOT of energy by turning their thermostats to 15°C, which should be quite bearable for mammals that have been evolving for millions of years and more.
AFAI Remember, he tried it out himself and wants to continue doing so.
Of course, he puts on warm clothes and had a heating lamp that heats just the spot where he sits ("why should I heat my books and my walls?")
At the end he gives a thought on this: Why shouldn't we engineer the human body to be able to withstand colder temperatures instead of heating? That could save a giant ammount of gas burnt and slow down climate change.
I don't want to discuss the ethical aspects of this, but as anyone ever thought about this? What would we need to change the human body to withstand colder temperatures?
I assume it's just the enzymes that don't work at lower temperatures? So, basically, one would have to study all enzymes of the human body, identify the ones that don't work below 37°C, and find homologous proteins in cold-tolerating bacteria / etc. and add this to the human genome?
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