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Physiological essay on Gulliver's Travels: a correction after three centuries
Toshio Kuroki1,2,3
1Research Center of Science Systems, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-cu, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan. t96tree@kfa.biglobe.ne.jp.
The Journal of Physiological Sciences : JPS
|January 6, 2019
Summary
Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels was analyzed using comparative physiology scaling laws. The study recalculates Gulliver's food needs, suggesting the original estimates were significantly overestimated.
Area of Science:
- Comparative physiology
- Biological scaling laws
- Physiological modeling
Background:
- Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" (1726) provides narrative descriptions of vastly different human scales.
- Previous interpretations of Gulliver's nutritional requirements in Lilliput and Brobdingnag lack quantitative physiological analysis.
- Understanding metabolic scaling is crucial for estimating energy needs across different body sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the energy and food requirements of Gulliver in "Gulliver's Travels" using modern physiological scaling principles.
- To apply established biological scaling laws to fictional characters to test their plausibility.
- To correct historical estimations of Gulliver's nutritional intake based on scientific analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized established equations for metabolic scaling, including quarter-power laws (E∝W^(3/4)) and (T∝W^(1/4)).
- Calculated body mass index (BMI = W/H^2) for fictional inhabitants.
- Estimated physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiration, lifespan, and blood pressure based on body mass and comparative data (e.g., giraffe, Barosaurus).
Main Results:
- The calculated food requirement for Gulliver is significantly less than implied by the original narrative.
- The energy needs of 42 Lilliputians and 1/42th of a Brobdingnagian's food intake are estimated to be sufficient for Gulliver.
- Physiological parameters like heart rate and respiration were extrapolated using scaling laws.
Conclusions:
- The original estimations of Gulliver's food consumption in "Gulliver's Travels" appear to be exaggerated based on physiological scaling principles.
- Scientific analysis suggests a substantial revision of Gulliver's dietary needs is warranted.
- This study demonstrates the application of quantitative physiology to analyze fictional biological scenarios.
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