Record-breaking divers pushing human limits,reshaping view of humans

HELLFIRE

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250724-do-humans-belong-in-the-ocean-freediving

… Zechinni, a freediver and author, has broken 40 world records and earned more than 30 international medals for freediving, including 17 World Championship golds. In 2023, she reached the record-breaking depth of 123m (404ft) unassisted. She is one of a handful of people known to have dived to these kind of depths with nothing but a lungful of air. …

I’ve heard of scubadiving to such depths, but freediving to that depth?!?!

Regards

real_aurgathor

Diving to that depth is probably the easier part. The hard part is resurfacing alive…..

HooRU

Wow. In my wife’s country there is a community of sea gypsies that can dive for long periods; their lungs are different from ours, their entire physiology is different. They literally live on the sea. Me I’m scared to be underwater for 10 seconds. Also, I get cold water shock badly, I gasp as soon as I get in the pool. If I went off a bridge in a car, I don’t think I’d survive.

real_aurgathor

HooRU

HooRU ; their lungs are different from ours, their entire physiology is different.

That is incorrect. The main difference between the Bajaus and the other tribes in the neighborhood is spleen size, which is about 50% (!!) larger. Lesser differences are in thyroid activity and slightly different blood chemistry to better handle CO2.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)30386-6

Somewhat-Reticent

Adaptation is not evolution, but is rarely explored.

broknsymetry

Evolution is adaptation that is passed genetically to offspring. Evolution can also be due to mutation. Mutations can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect. In either event failure to adapt to a change in environment or change in an organism’s physical characteristics, protein function, or disease susceptibility may lead to extinction.