Heat is an environmental stress that negatively impacts the survival of humans by disturbing homeostasis. Heat can result in many things such as heat rashes, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Heat rashes occur when the sweat glands become clogged from too much sweating or not enough circulation to the area. Heat exhaustion may occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures for several days and have developed dehydration. Heat exhaustion can cause headaches; fatigue, nausea, vomiting and can reduce energy levels Dehydration, which occurs when the amount of fluid coming out of the body exceeds the amounts of fluids coming into the body. Heatstroke is caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures or by doing physical activity in hot weather. You are considered to have a heatstroke when your body temperature reaches 104 degrees F or higher.

Humans have adapted to heat short term by sweating. We lose water by sweating. It’s the body’s way of trying to cool itself down. It is imperative that you replenish the electrolytes you’re losing when you sweat. Sweat makes your skin feel cooler when it's wet. And when it evaporates it removes some heat. For sweat to cool your body temperature the water must evaporate. 

Facultative adaptation is vasodilation, which expands the capillaries to allow greater blood flow to the skins surface, dispersing heat from the body. Sweat secretion stops when body temperature returns to normal. Blood vessels supplying blood to the skin can swell or dilate - called vasodilation. This causes more heat to be carried by the blood to the skin, where it can be lost to the air. This reduces heat loss through the skin once the body’s temperature has returned to normal.

Developmental adaptation for heat is being able to walk on two feet rather than on four and also the shape of our bodies. Bipedalism and our long body shapes. This contributes to our core and our limbs which can help provide more body area for sweating. If we were to walk on all four, our bodies would be more exposed to the sun. Especially our backs. Standing straight and only walking on two feet also enables us to walk fast which can lead to cooler breezes. 

Humans have adapted to heat culturally by utilizing air conditioners and fans, swimming pools and water parks. We can have these in our homes, cars and at work. Although this can be a short term adaptation humans are able to cool down quickly without having to wait for their body temperature to drop to achieve coolness. Air conditioning help with heat stroke and heat exhaustion by quickly reducing the body’s temperature. Water parks and swimming pools are other cultural adaptations that we can take advantage of. Water parks and pools are used to cool off and also for enjoyment purposes. 

The benefit of studying heat on human variation helps us to figure out how to adapt better to our environment. We know how deal with it, embrace it, or tolerate it. We know we have to stay hydrated and replenish what our body loses from sweat, we can protect our skin by using sun screen, use air conditioning and recreational fun to stay cool. The benefits of studying human variation would allow us to evolve and adapt better in different environments. This would allow us to learn how to adapt to not only heat, but other environments. 

You couldn't use race in relation to the adaptations because these adaptations are necessary for all races. Everyone has the ability to adapt to different environments, it is not unique to any race. Humans have a strong capacity to adapt to heat. Individuals exposed for the first time to a hot climate can adjust over a period of 10-14 days. This involves a lowering of the body's core temperature and a reduction of the heart rate and metabolic rate. All races are able to adjust and do this. 

        Having a conversation and not being able to be expressive through hand gestures is difficult. It is also difficult to have a conversation where you are only using gestures. This week I experimented on both of these. Both findings to were interesting. The first 15 minute conversation was not being able to speak but rather use my body and hand gestures. My response to this conversation could be described as me being a little annoyed that he could not understand what I was trying to convey, along with my partners response being irritated as well. However, my partner also described it as being intreating to try an figure out what I was trying to get across. 

        My experience was a little challenging, it was difficult to remember not to speak because that is such a first reaction, to just say what it is you want or feel. My partner did alter the way he communicated with me because it was like playing charades. He was trying to decode what I was saying and it definitely took some patience. I believe I was in control of the conversation and I would initiate topic change because I was in control of my body and the things I was trying to communicate. If I stopped moving or gesturing, the conversation would stop. 

       As far as asking and answering questions, we both partook. He would ask me a question to find out what I was asking or what I wanted, and I in turn would gesture questions back and would be able to answer with a yes or no nod. Since this experiment was conducted between just two people, my partner and I, there was a balance of power between us and forced us to work as a team to figure out what the conversation was about. 

       If me and my partner were from different cultures, I think I would have the advantage because we can not always understand other languages, but with the help of body language and gestures, more than likely you are able to understand what they are saying. In a lot of cultures, even evident today, we get very frustrated with people who do not speak our same language. The speaking culture might get frustrated with the the symbolic culture because it can be very difficult to communicate where there is a language barrier, or lack of. A modern situation that resembles this experiment would be with many people who live in the United States that do not speak English. It is hard for them to work because they can not communicate and it could be hard to defend themselves because they are not able to get their points across. 

        The second part of this experiment was the opposite of the first. My partner and I had a 15 minute conversation where we were able to communicate but could not use any other type of body or hand gesture, no physical embellishments. My response to this experiment was slightly easier than the first experiment because I was able to speak to convey exactly what I was saying. It was easier for my partner as well because there was no guessing involved. However, I am a very animated person when I talk so it was hard to not use my hand while we had a conversation as well as to be monotone the whole time. My partner described this conversation as boring and and dry but said lack of body language did not affect the conversation too much and not difficulty understanding me. 

        This experiment showed that using physical embellishment is just a big part of communication as speech. We use hand gestures, change and tone, facial expression and body language to convey our thoughts and feelings just as much as plain speech. The delivery of my speech without physical embellishment was received in almost a negative way. I could say I was overjoyed and happy but saying it in a monotone with no facial or body expression would make someone think otherwise. 

        The benefit of being able to read body language can come in handy when you are trying to see if someone is nervous, lying, uncomfortable, or happy. The way you look, move, and react tells the other person whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening. I think there are people who have difficulty ready body language, and it would be difficult to identify with them. When your body language matches with the words you’re saying, that increase trust and clarity and confirmation. When they don’t, this can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion It's important to recognize that it's our nonverbal communication such as our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice that speak the loudest.