Mental Miscellanea v62.9
Why is 37°C the internal temperature of humans?
That number seems pretty specific. I wondered how that value came to be.
My feet get cold. My hands too. I know that internally they couldn’t possibly be operating at 98.6°F. Yet, they work: I can flex my fingers, wiggle my toes. How can my cold extremities work just fine yet my core temperature mandate that I operate at the exact temperature of 37°C (98.6°F)? And if my hands and feet prove they still work, could humans alter their metabolism somewhat, and therefore their temperature, to reduce their energy needs?
Hell if I know. And searching would take forever and yield scattered results. Alas, I’ve lost access to Anthropic’s AI “Claude”. As much as that OpenAI offshoot claimed to not be a for-profit concern, the more Anthropic demands $$$ for their offerings.
Anyway, Google’s Bard is available for free and so I posed my questions to it. Here’s its response:
The precise reason why human metabolism results in a core body temperature of 37°C is not fully understood by scientists. However, several factors likely contribute to this specific temperature range:
1. Enzyme Efficiency: Most enzymes in the human body function optimally within a narrow temperature range. 37°C seems to be the “sweet spot” where most enzymes work most efficiently, allowing for optimal cellular processes and metabolic reactions.
2. Protein Stability: Proteins are essential for all biological functions, and their structure and function are sensitive to temperature. At 37°C, most human proteins remain stable and function properly.
3. Membrane Fluidity: Cell membranes are made of lipids and proteins and need to be fluid for proper transport of molecules and communication between cells. 37°C provides the right balance between fluidity and stability for optimal cell function.
4. Evolutionary Adaptation: Early humans likely evolved in warm climates where maintaining a constant body temperature provided a survival advantage. Over time, our bodies adapted to a core temperature of 37°C, which allows us to maintain high levels of activity and function even in moderately hot environments.
5. Balancing Energy Expenditure and Heat Loss: Maintaining a constant body temperature requires a delicate balance between heat production (metabolism) and heat loss (sweating, radiation, convection). 37°C seems to be the optimal temperature where we can maintain this balance without expending excessive energy.
Why not 40°C or 30°C?
40°C: At 40°C, many enzymes start to denature and lose function, leading to inefficient metabolism and potential tissue damage. Additionally, protein stability could be compromised, potentially affecting various cellular processes.
30°C: At 30°C, enzyme activity and cellular processes would be slower, potentially impacting various bodily functions. Additionally, maintaining a 30°C core temperature might require more energy expenditure to prevent heat loss in cold environments.
While the specific factors contributing to a 37°C core temperature are complex and not fully understood, it’s likely the result of a combination of factors including enzyme efficiency, protein stability, membrane fluidity, evolutionary adaptation, and the balance between energy expenditure and heat loss. This specific temperature allows for optimal functioning of our bodies and provides a survival advantage in a wide range of environmental conditions.
Well, that sounds logical and valid. Thanks Bard.
As an aside, I know that “Claude” was fairly capable of esoteric interpretation of prose — as if it could tease out the personality of the characters. I’ve not tried this with “Bard” but now that I’ve seen the answer above, I may give it a try regarding the analysis of prose. I’ll report back here any findings.
We are LLMs
Why do some writers use prompts? Why are prompts popular? Creating unique, novel ideas for stories is getting harder.
I’ve been attempting to write at least one story idea every evening in a notebook. Pen to paper, that sort of thing. I lay in bed, my phalanges freezing, and contemplate scenarios, trying to dream up contexts and situations I’ve not written about before.
Blank stares at the ceiling often follow. Yet, I cast back to times when story ideas flowed freely, most recently during SepSceneWriMo where Claude gave me 30 prompts, as inane as they might have been, and I used those notion nodules as seeds for stories. All I needed was a lead-in. This thought instantly jived with the dominant news of the day regarding large language models: our brains are LLMs which do in fact generate the next word in a never ending sequence of word-driven thought.
Prompts are simply seeds for new story trees.
“The world and all the crazy, psychotic people and events within it are a treasure trove of “prompt” ideas,” P.H. would tell me. Yes, but they are indeed prompts. External input triggering internal thoughts spreading like fractal mycelia through the forest loam of mind.
One word, “sidewalk” spawning another, “chewing gum” followed by “hot sun” and “Italian shoes” and cursing and snickering and someone getting flipped off and someone getting pushed and the yellow flash of a cab and the screech of brakes, the thump of a body, the screams of bystanders…
As long as we can generate the kernel of thought, and we’ve enough background knowledge and experience to flesh out the body, we can produce story ideas with aplomb. Only, how often do we crank out the same old theme, meme and dream? Too often. Nothing new under the sun? Everything was new once.
COVID, still?
Whether due to the cold & flu season coming around, or to some new variant and general lax in precautions, COVID infections are recently up. Both my separately living, adult children have succumbed. Numerous work-mates as well. And in response, directly as well as planned, I received both booster #4 as well as the influenza shot today, right shoulder, bam, left shoulder, wham. Had they had a shot for Alzheimer’s, syphilis and stupidity, I would have gotten those as well.
I was rewarded with a Peppermint Frosty from Wendy’s.
