Most people prefer a larger height, but having a higher cell count increases the risk of cancer. Understanding the essence is more important than the size. The author, a renowned global statistical analyst, explores the role of size in nature and everyday life.
“Generally, large size becomes the goal of individuals and groups. Our desires have evolved to aim for larger sizes. In modern society, we have witnessed a trend of enlarging screens, buildings, cities, and machinery. It’s not that things have become more complex and larger, but they have become more complicated because of their size. When the size changes, everything else must change as well.”
The new book, ‘Size, the World is Made of Size,’ by the world-renowned scholar Vaslav Smil, a professor of environmental geography at Manitoba University, offers insights into modern civilization from the perspective of size. It delves into the role of size in nature and human life, preferences for larger objects, extreme cases of size, interrelations among various fields such as energy, environment, food, population, economy, and public policy, and the design and distribution of sizes.
We always live consciously aware of size, measuring, evaluating, and comparing it. Society is made up of various standard sizes such as standard height and specifications. People tend to assess something is wrong when sizes deviate from these standards. Some prefer smaller sizes, while others prefer larger ones. Size can be perceived from a relative perspective, and proportion often determines visual appeal. The ‘Golden Ratio’ (approximately 1.618 to 1) is one example.
Especially, tools and instruments are designed based on human body size. For example, a pencil is made to be held in the hand, glasses are constrained by the distance between the eyes, and a spoon must fit the size of the mouth. The same principle applies to furniture, houses, and buildings.
However, according to Professor Smil, many things have grown beyond their original purpose and necessity. For instance, SUVs dominating the European market in the early 1950s weigh up to three times more than compact cars. The average housing size in the U.S. has increased by over 2.5 times compared to the 1950s, while household sizes have decreased. This has intensified the perception of social disparities.
The book emphasizes that the law of ‘economy of scale,’ which has been highly regarded in the growth process of modern society, is not always applicable. For example, although it seems that energy efficiency in large cities would be higher than in small cities, in reality, that is not the case. According to the book, cities occupy 55% of the world’s population but consume around 70% of all energy and generate over 70% of greenhouse gases. Thus, larger cities do not necessarily save more energy or reduce greenhouse gas emissions per capita than smaller cities.
The stories related to height are also intriguing. Height is not only the result of genetics but also a product of social and economic environments. Therefore, a child’s height is not only influenced by their family’s income, education, and health, but also affects their future income size. Research shows that an appropriate height increases an individual’s confidence and provides more opportunities. However, it’s not just the positive aspects of being tall. Recent studies have shown that the taller a person is, the higher their risk of cancer, with life expectancy decreasing by 0.4 to 0.63 years for every 1cm increase in height. This is because having more cells in the body increases the likelihood of cancer-causing mutations.
Professor Smil warns against falling into the illusion of ‘size perception’ and emphasizes the importance of not being blinded by size but rather focusing on the essence.
[By Song Kyung-eun, Reporter]