Scientists have reimagined the 'perfect human body' and it's seriously terrifying
We live in an era consumed by physical appearance.
Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have created relentless pressure to achieve idealised body standards, while tools like AI and filters can dramatically manipulate how we look.
Meanwhile, weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have exploded in popularity, initially prescribed for diabetes but now sought after by anyone wanting to shed pounds quickly, and fitness YouTubers are experimenting with 'every way possible' to lose weight.
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Although the social norm should be to accept everyone regardless of weight or size, science reveals that there is, in fact, a 'perfect' human body shape.
Based on research in animal evolution, anatomist Alice Roberts attempted to construct the perfect human body. And if you're picturing something like the body of an athlete or a supermodel, you'd be sorely wrong...
In a clip from a 2018 BBC Four show called 'Can Science Make Me Perfect?' the idea was to create a body free of human imperfections and to include all the optimal features that animals possess.
However, revealing the creature in its totality was nothing short of nightmare fuel - just take a look for yourself:
The horrifying combination of features included large eyes, pointed ears, the lower back of a chimpanzee, the legs of an emu, a chest without breasts, the heart of a dog and a marsupial pouch.
Before revealing the creature, Roberts said it has been an 'extraordinary project' and she was 'terribly excited' to see the results.
Dubbed Alice 2.0, the body was reportedly modelled on Roberts' own body, but you'll probably agree that very little of it could be described as 'perfect'.
Understandably, the crowd responded with nervous laughter and some disgust when Alice 2.0 was introduced.
"Oh no, I can't look at it," said Roberts after seeing her scientifically optimised self.
But as weird as the sci-fi body looked, every feature had its evolutionary purpose.
For example, the emu-like legs were designed for efficient running, while the larger eyes and ears were for enhanced vision and hearing. More unusually, the 'chimp's sturdy lower back' was designed to 'counter the faults of our flawed transition to standing upright,' Roberts explained.
"The baby's the weirdest thing. That is the weirdest thing, but it's very cute at the same time," Roberts admitted.
According to the clip, the protruding baby head was supposed to represent a pain-free childbirth via marsupial-style reproduction. While it sounds good in theory, the illustration of it is downright terrifying.
Despite the radical biological alteration, one similarity remained unchanged which was the smartphone clutched in the creature's hand. It seems our dependence on technology can transcend even evolutionary perfection.