The intelligence paradox; will ET get the metabolic syndrome? Lessons from and for Earth

Nunn, A. V. W., Guy, G. W. and Bell, J. D. (2014) The intelligence paradox; will ET get the metabolic syndrome? Lessons from and for Earth. Nutrition & Metabolism, 11 (1). 34. ISSN 1743-7075 doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-11-34

Abstract/Summary

Mankind is facing an unprecedented health challenge in the current pandemic of obesity and diabetes. We propose that this is the inevitable (and predictable) consequence of the evolution of intelligence, which itself could be an expression of life being an information system driven by entropy. Because of its ability to make life more adaptable and robust, intelligence evolved as an efficient adaptive response to the stresses arising from an ever-changing environment. These adaptive responses are encapsulated by the epiphenomena of “hormesis”, a phenomenon we believe to be central to the evolution of intelligence and essential for the maintenance of optimal physiological function and health. Thus, as intelligence evolved, it would eventually reach a cognitive level with the ability to control its environment through technology and have the ability remove all stressors. In effect, it would act to remove the very hormetic factors that had driven its evolution. Mankind may have reached this point, creating an environmental utopia that has reduced the very stimuli necessary for optimal health and the evolution of intelligence – “the intelligence paradox”. One of the hallmarks of this paradox is of course the rising incidence in obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. This leads to the conclusion that wherever life evolves, here on earth or in another part of the galaxy, the “intelligence paradox’” would be the inevitable side-effect of the evolution of intelligence. ET may not need to just “phone home” but may also need to “phone the local gym”. This suggests another possible reason to explain Fermi’s paradox; Enrico Fermi, the famous physicist, suggested in the 1950s that if extra-terrestrial intelligence was so prevalent, which was a common belief at the time, then where was it? Our suggestion is that if advanced life has got going elsewhere in our galaxy, it can’t afford to explore the galaxy because it has to pay its healthcare costs.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/37265
Identification Number/DOI	10.1186/1743-7075-11-34
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > School of Pharmacy > Division of Pharmacology
Uncontrolled Keywords	Intelligence; Obesity; Hormesis; Exercise; Metabolic syndrome; Type 2 diabetes; Environment; Aging; Mitochondria; Proton gradients; Evolution; Fermi paradox; Entropy
Publisher	BioMed Central Ltd
Publisher Statement	Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions AVWN was the principle originator of the intelligence paradox hypothesis and wrote and edited the manuscript. JDB contributed substantially to the discussions around the subject, editing and content. GWG provided valuable feedback on some of the topics. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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