Humor. Science. Baboons.

Earlier in the summer, I read A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons by Robert M. Sapolsky, PhD and have been wanting to extol it's very existence ever since.

In the Physiology class I took last semester, the professor opted to show a PBS/Nat Geo documentary on the day scheduled in the syllabus that we were to discuss stress and its effects on the systems of the body. Awesome, right? No lecture, no PowerPoint, no note-taking. It was awesome for those reasons and more. Stress: Portrait of a Killer was an engaging and straightforward introduction to some of the research that's been done, and is being done, on the stress response.

It's believed that most animals have this autonomic cascade of physiological events in place for instances of life or death - either trying to catch something to eat, or trying not to be the something that is to be eaten. It's a quick and efficient method to gear up all the systems that will help the organism succeed (cardiovascular, nervous, etc) and turn down/off the systems that are unnecessary (reproductive, digestive, etc). And this response is designed for a quick turnaround. Immediate on, immediate off. But humans, and it appears some other primates, have somehow coopted the stress response for less life-threatening occurrences - like peer pressure, societal hierarchies, and traffic jams - and are therefore experiencing these physiological changes for a greater amount of time. So why is this so? And what are the effects on our bodies, our systems, to this extended response? From the sampling of animal and human research they presented in the film - it's not looking good. There's evidence of increased risk for cardiovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, immune suppression, memory loss, neuronal (i.e. - brain cells!) death, etc, etc, etc. Simply put by one of the researchers, Carol Shively, PhD, (I'm summarizing, I don't remember verbatim) Stress isn't some abstract concept - it's a critical health issue demanding attention.

Sapolsky and baboon. photo credit: John Heminway

I was so intrigued by the research presented in the documentary, specifically Sapolsky's methods, I borrowed his memoir from my professor. It turned out to be a hilarious and detailed account of his time in Kenya studying a baboon troop, intermixed with anecdotes about hard lessons learned, cultural differences, and interactions with other researchers, park rangers, government "officials", and new Kenyan friends. The book strikes a balance of humor and earnest, while being personal and scientific. Even the science is written about so accessibly that anyone and everyone would get something from it. If you're looking for an entertaining and informative read, I would absolutely suggest you pick this book up. Your body will thank you!