http://www.talkingscience.org/2009/02/high-heels-and-peacocks-what-developmental-stability-the-handicap-principle-and-fluctuating-symmetry-have-to-do-with-high-end-fashion/ TalkingScience is a non-profit organization focus on educating the general public on science through new media. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc http://www.talkingscience.org/2009/02/high-heels-and-peacocks-what-developmental-stability-the-handicap-principle-and-fluctuating-symmetry-have-to-do-with-high-end-fashion/comment-page-1/#comment-30018 Lordosis as an evolutionary advantage? « Biodork Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:36:25 +0000 http://talkingscience.org/blogs/?p=1379#comment-30018 [...] has long been recognized as way to display confidence and strength, and high heels are a great way to show that you’ve got resources to burn.  I’m trying to pretend that there’s a way a heel like this could evolve…what [...] [...] has long been recognized as way to display confidence and strength, and high heels are a great way to show that you’ve got resources to burn.  I’m trying to pretend that there’s a way a heel like this could evolve…what [...]

]]> http://www.talkingscience.org/2009/02/high-heels-and-peacocks-what-developmental-stability-the-handicap-principle-and-fluctuating-symmetry-have-to-do-with-high-end-fashion/comment-page-1/#comment-9793 How to Get Six Pack Fast Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:42:15 +0000 http://talkingscience.org/blogs/?p=1379#comment-9793 After reading the article, I just feel that I need more information on the topic. Could you suggest some more resources ? After reading the article, I just feel that I need more information on the topic. Could you suggest some more resources ?

]]> http://www.talkingscience.org/2009/02/high-heels-and-peacocks-what-developmental-stability-the-handicap-principle-and-fluctuating-symmetry-have-to-do-with-high-end-fashion/comment-page-1/#comment-6266 Miriam Gordon Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:21:16 +0000 http://talkingscience.org/blogs/?p=1379#comment-6266 Nikki, thank you for this well written and thought provoking post. As someone who writes about the science of obesity, I bump up against evolutionary theory more that I feel comfortable with. I am just at the beginning of learning about where the current phenomenon referred to as the "obesity epidemic" in westernized cultures intersects with evolutionary theory. Clearly, in our society, the thinness and the image of fitness portrayed by today's runway models is held up as a selective advantage, certainly (and rather unfortunately) over "fatness". I am of a very fringe, but increasingly popular scientific opinion that being fat does not necessarily indicate lack of health or fitness. I would like to say that the larger average body size of people in today's western societies, compared to that of say 30 or 40 years ago, is a manifestation of "survival" genes that functioned to preserve life in conditions of starvation (which was the case throughout most of human history). However, I don't yet have the solid scientific sources to back this up and hope to explore it in future blog posts here on Talking Science and on my personal blog, Fat Science (http://fatscience.wordpress.com). Nikki, thank you for this well written and thought provoking post. As someone who writes about the science of obesity, I bump up against evolutionary theory more that I feel comfortable with. I am just at the beginning of learning about where the current phenomenon referred to as the "obesity epidemic" in westernized cultures intersects with evolutionary theory. Clearly, in our society, the thinness and the image of fitness portrayed by today's runway models is held up as a selective advantage, certainly (and rather unfortunately) over "fatness". I am of a very fringe, but increasingly popular scientific opinion that being fat does not necessarily indicate lack of health or fitness. I would like to say that the larger average body size of people in today's western societies, compared to that of say 30 or 40 years ago, is a manifestation of "survival" genes that functioned to preserve life in conditions of starvation (which was the case throughout most of human history). However, I don't yet have the solid scientific sources to back this up and hope to explore it in future blog posts here on Talking Science and on my personal blog, Fat Science (http://fatscience.wordpress.com).

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