How Big Can a Person Get?

Vsauce
15 Apr 201315:44
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis fascinating transcript explores the biological and physical limits of human size. It discusses how improved nutrition and medical care have contributed to increased average human height over the past 150 years, yet there is a genetic limit to how tall humans can grow, which is close to 7 feet 6 inches. The square-cube law explains why humans cannot grow much larger without significant changes to their shape and proportions. The video also touches on the impact of size on senses such as sight and smell, and how our physical presence can extend beyond our physical bodies through sound and scent. Intriguingly, it concludes with the idea that while our physical size is bounded by Earth's limitations, the light and electromagnetic radiation we emit can travel indefinitely through space, suggesting a form of immortality and vastness to human existence.

Takeaways
  • 📏 Average human height has increased by about 10 centimeters (4 inches) over the past 150 years, largely due to better nutrition and medical care.
  • 🧬 Genetic blueprints within us carry plans for our maximum healthy height, which is usually no more than 7 feet 6 inches, unless influenced by certain medical conditions.
  • 🚀 Endocrine disorders, such as a tumor near the pituitary gland, can lead to unusually rapid and prolonged growth, as seen in the case of the tallest living individuals.
  • 🌟 The tallest person ever officially recorded was Robert Wadlow, who reached a height of 8 foot 11 inches by the age of 22.
  • 🔬 The square-cube law dictates that as a shape grows taller, its volume increases at a much faster rate, which poses significant biological and structural challenges to extreme height in humans.
  • 🦴 To regularly produce people over 8 feet tall, they would likely need a different body shape due to the limitations imposed by the square-cube law and human proportions.
  • 🐘 Animals can reach much larger sizes than humans because their proportions and organs are adapted to support their massive size, unlike humans.
  • 🌌 Theoretically, humans born on Mars could grow taller due to the lower gravity, but they would not develop the bone and muscle strength required for Earth's environment.
  • 👀 The human body emits light, mostly in the form of infrared, with a small portion in the visible spectrum, which is tied to our circadian rhythms.
  • 🌟 The photons emitted by the human body can travel indefinitely through space, theoretically extending a person's 'reach' beyond the observable universe.
  • 🌐 While our physical size is limited by various factors, our influence and the photons we emit can be considered 'immortal' and 'infinite' in the context of the universe.
Q & A

  • How much taller are people on average today compared to 150 years ago?

    -People today are on average about ten centimeters, or roughly four inches, taller than they were 150 years ago.

  • What factors have contributed to the increase in human height over the past century and a half?

    -Better nutrition and medical care, particularly early in life, have allowed humans to better utilize the genetic potential for growth, leading to an increase in average height.

  • What is the typical maximum height for a human being given optimal conditions?

    -The typical maximum height for a human being given optimal conditions rarely exceeds 7 feet 6 inches.

  • What is an example of an endocrine disorder that can lead to abnormal growth?

    -An example of an endocrine disorder that can lead to abnormal growth is a tumor near the pituitary gland in the brain.

  • Who is currently the tallest man living in America?

    -Igor Vovkovinskiy, who is 7 foot 8 inches tall, is currently the tallest man living in America.

  • Who holds the Guinness world record for the tallest living person and largest hands and feet?

    -Sultan Kösen holds the Guinness world record for the tallest living person at 8 foot 3 inches tall and also for the largest hands and feet.

  • Who was the tallest person ever officially recorded?

    -Robert Wadlow was the tallest person ever officially recorded, reaching a height of 8 foot 11 inches when he died at the age of 22.

  • What is the square-cube law and how does it relate to the maximum size a human can grow to?

    -The square-cube law states that as an object grows in size, its volume increases at a greater rate than its surface area. This means that if a human were to grow significantly larger while maintaining the same proportions, they would require a much stronger or thicker skeleton to support their increased weight.

  • What is one reason why blue whales are so well adapted to living in water?

    -Blue whales are well adapted to living in water because the buoyancy of water helps counteract their immense weight, which would be too much for land-based animals to support.

  • How might the reduced gravity on Mars affect human growth?

    -The reduced gravity on Mars, which is only one third of that on Earth, could theoretically allow humans born there to grow a few inches taller. However, their bones and muscles might not develop the necessary strength to withstand Earth's gravity.

  • How far can the loudest human shout travel before it becomes inaudible?

    -The loudest human shout, at about 88 decibels from 30 centimeters away, will die out below the threshold of human hearing in the atmosphere after traveling about 5 kilometers or 3 miles.

  • What is the smallest angular size that the human eye can perceive?

    -The smallest angular size that the human eye can perceive is about one arc minute, which is a sixtieth of a degree.

  • How does the human body's emitted light differ from other forms of size in terms of being bounded?

    -Unlike physical size, vocal and olfactory reach, the photons of light emitted by the human body are not bounded by any physical limits and can travel indefinitely through space, potentially even beyond the observable universe.

Outlines
00:00
📏 Human Height Evolution and Limitations

The paragraph discusses the increase in human height over the past 150 years, attributing it to better nutrition and medical care. It explores the concept of genetic blueprints for human height, mentioning that while the average height has increased, there are limits to how tall humans can naturally grow, which is usually not more than 7 feet 6 inches. The paragraph also highlights cases of individuals with endocrine disorders leading to exceptional height, such as Igor Vovkovinskiy and Sultan Kösen, and notes Robert Wadlow as the tallest person ever recorded. It concludes with the idea that surpassing a certain height would require humans to be a different shape due to the square-cube law.

05:02
🌌 Theoretical Limits of Human Size and Perception

This section delves into the theoretical maximum size a human can achieve, pointing out that while genetic manipulation could potentially increase the average height slightly, there is a biological ceiling. It emphasizes the square-cube law's implications on scaling up human proportions and the physical challenges that would come with it, such as the heart's inability to pump blood effectively throughout a much larger body. The paragraph also touches on the size of animals like the giraffatitan and the Bruhathkayosaurus, and how their proportions differ from humans, allowing them to achieve greater sizes. It concludes with the observation that the largest animals, like the blue whale, are aquatic, benefiting from the buoyancy of water.

10:06
🚀 The Impact of Gravity on Size and the Reach of Human Senses

The paragraph explores how the reduced gravity on Mars could theoretically allow humans to grow taller, although they would not be strong enough to withstand Earth's gravity. It discusses the concept of size in relation to human perception and the impact humans can have on their environment beyond their physical dimensions. It covers the extent to which a human's voice can travel and how sight is limited by the horizon and the angular size of objects. The paragraph also notes that in space, a person's visibility would be limited by their contrast with the background and the distance, eventually reducing to the perception of individual photons.

15:07
🐾 The Scent and Light Emissions as Human Dimensions

This part of the script examines the idea of human scent as a measure of size, with animals like bloodhounds and grizzly bears able to detect scents from remarkable distances. It discusses the concept of the human body emitting light in the form of electromagnetic radiation, most of which is infrared but some of which is visible. The paragraph explains that while the visible light emitted by humans is very dim, it is influenced by circadian rhythms, making humans brightest around 4 p.m. daily. It concludes by suggesting that the photons emitted by humans, if not absorbed, could travel indefinitely, making one's influence, in a sense, infinite and enduring.

🙌 Conclusion and Thanks

The final paragraph is a brief closing statement thanking the viewers for watching the video.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Blueprints
In the context of the video, 'blueprints' refer to the genetic information within our DNA that contains the instructions for the optimal physical development of a human being, including height, given a suitable environment. The video discusses how improved nutrition and medical care have allowed humans to reach closer to their genetic potential for height. An example from the script is the mention of how the tallest living humans, like Sultan Kösen, have managed to reach extraordinary heights, likely due to the optimal expression of these genetic blueprints.
💡Endocrine Disorders
Endocrine disorders are conditions that affect the glands of the endocrine system, which are responsible for producing hormones that regulate various body functions. The video specifically mentions a tumor near the pituitary gland as an example of an endocrine disorder that can lead to abnormal growth, resulting in individuals being taller than the average human. Igor Vovkovinskiy, at 7 foot 8 inches, is cited as an example of someone whose height may be influenced by such a disorder.
💡Square-Cube Law
The square-cube law is a principle in physics that describes the relationship between the volume and surface area of an object as it changes size. In the video, it is used to explain why there are biological limits to how large a human can grow. As a human grows taller, their volume (and thus weight) increases at a much faster rate than the area of their bones, which must support this weight. This would mean that a human significantly larger than the average would require a vastly different skeletal structure to support their weight, which is not feasible with our current human proportions.
💡Giraffatitan
The Giraffatitan is mentioned in the video as an example of an animal that reached a massive size due to its different proportions and organs compared to humans. It is stated to have weighed between 20 to 30 thousand kilograms, showcasing how the animal kingdom can achieve sizes that are not possible for humans due to the constraints of human biology and the square-cube law. The Giraffatitan's mention serves to highlight the uniqueness of human size limitations in comparison to other species.
💡Blue Whale
The blue whale is the heaviest animal known to have existed, as stated in the video, with the heaviest recorded individual weighing 177,000 kilograms. It is used as an example to illustrate the concept that animal size is limited by simple geometry and the gravity of Earth. The blue whale's massive size is made possible by its aquatic environment, which provides the necessary buoyancy to counteract its enormous weight, something that land animals, including humans, do not have the advantage of.
💡Circadian Rhythms
Circadian rhythms are the body's internal clock that regulates various physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, in a roughly 24-hour cycle. The video mentions that the human body emits light, including some within the visible spectrum, and that this emission is tied to circadian rhythms. Specifically, it is noted that around 4 p.m. each day, a person is at their brightest in terms of the visible light they emit, which is an interesting correlation between our biological timing and the physical light we give off.
💡Angular Size
Angular size is a measurement that describes how much space an object takes up in a viewer's visual field. The video uses the concept of angular size to explain how the perceived size of objects changes with distance. For example, the video states that the moon takes up about half a degree of angular size, while a person's thumb held at arm's length takes up about one degree. This concept is integral to discussing how far away a person could be seen with the naked eye, both on Earth and in outer space.
💡Rhinarium
A rhinarium is a specialized, moist area on the nose of certain mammals, like cats and dogs, which aids in their sense of smell. The video explains that rhinariums allow these animals to not only detect but also localize scents, which is crucial for tracking. The concept is used to illustrate how scent can be considered a part of an individual's 'size' or impact on the environment, as it can extend far beyond their physical presence, with some animals like the Silvertip grizzly able to smell from great distances.
💡Photons
Photons are the smallest units of light, and the video discusses how the human eye can perceive individual photons, although not perfectly. The concept of photons is central to the video's exploration of how far the 'light' or 'glow' emitted by a human can travel. Unlike sound or smell, which are limited by a medium, photons can travel through the vacuum of space indefinitely. The video suggests that the photons emitted by a person could, theoretically, travel beyond the observable universe, making one's influence, in a sense, infinite.
💡Observable Universe
The observable universe is the part of the universe that we can see from Earth, limited by the speed of light and the age of the universe. The video uses the concept of the observable universe to discuss the potential reach of photons emitted by humans. It suggests that the photons we emit could travel indefinitely and could conceivably reach beyond even the observable universe, contributing to the idea that our impact, in terms of light, is vast and potentially immortal.
💡Human Height Evolution
The video begins by discussing the evolution of human height, noting that people today are on average ten centimeters taller than they were 150 years ago. This is attributed to better nutrition and medical care, which have allowed humans to reach closer to their genetic potential for height. The concept is used to set the stage for the video's exploration of human size and its biological limits, as well as the various factors that influence our perception of size.
Highlights

People today are on average 10 centimeters taller than 150 years ago due to better nutrition and medical care.

The genetic blueprint rarely allows for a height exceeding 7 feet 6 inches.

Endocrine disorders, such as a tumor near the pituitary gland, can lead to abnormal growth.

Igor Vovkovinskiy, at 7 foot 8 inches, is the tallest living man in America.

Sultan Kösen, at 8 foot 3 inches, holds the Guinness world record for the tallest living person and largest hands and feet.

Robert Wadlow, at 8 foot 11 inches, is the tallest person ever officially recorded.

The average human height is close to the genetic limit, with potential for a slight increase through genetic manipulation.

The square-cube law dictates that as a shape grows taller, its volume increases at a greater rate, which could require a different body shape to support a person over 8 feet tall.

Animals like the giraffe and the Bruhathkayosaurus have different proportions and organs that allow them to grow much larger than humans.

The blue whale, the heaviest animal known, benefits from water's buoyancy to counteract its weight.

Theoretically, humans born on Mars could grow taller due to the lower gravity, but their bones and muscles would not be strong enough for Earth's conditions.

The concept of personal size is not limited to physical dimensions but also includes one's impact through sound, smell, and light.

The loudest human shout can travel about 5 kilometers before becoming inaudible.

The human body emits light, mostly in the infrared spectrum, with some visible light tied to circadian rhythms.

Under perfect conditions, a person could be seen from up to 10 to 15 kilometers away in outer space.

The Silvertip grizzly bear can smell things from nearly 30 kilometers away, making scent one of the largest dimensions of personal size.

The photons emitted by the human body can travel indefinitely through space, potentially making one's influence infinite and timeless.

Transcripts

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Human HeightNutritionMedical CareEndocrine DisordersGrowthRecord HoldersSize VariationGenetic LimitSquare-Cube LawAnimal ProportionsGiraffatitanBruhathkayosaurusBlue WhaleMars GravityPhysical LimitsSensesSoundSmellVisual FieldCircadian RhythmsElectromagnetic RadiationImmortalityCosmic PerspectiveHuman ImpactBiological ConstraintsSize PerceptionPlanetary LimitsSpace Travel