Part 3/8:
The Miracle of Human Birth
As we shift away from the wilderness to the sterile environment of a hospital, the birth of a human child unveils its own challenges. Despite the absence of predators, the multiple assistants present highlight the inherent risks involved. The helpless infant requires countless years of nurturing—a taxing endeavor for parents but yielding a high survival probability.
What accounts for humanity's dependency at birth, especially when compared to swift and agile species like zebras? The human brain, the crown jewel of our evolution, is a double-edged sword. While a smaller size at birth allows for successful delivery through narrow birth canals, it also extracts a heavy toll on energy reserves, thus delaying independence.