More than half of Britons can't locate heart in human body

[Darth Wong]

Well, while not knowing where your heart is, is pretty bad, all the 'gasp it's easy anatomy' vibes in the threads is silly. Anatomy is an incredibly hard subject (even taking out the phisioloical aspects) because of the sheer complexity of the human body. High school was a long time ago but I remember them teaching the basics, problem is, is why would someone retain that info unless they kept in a school tract or job that required it?

I really don't think it is necessary for all people to know little factoids about anatomy or any other subject unless it is directly tied to what they are studying or working. The average joe reallly doesn't need to know that your left lung has two lobes and your right has three. Doesn't really matter that the apex of the heart is actually at the bottom as you look at it, nor all the primary break off shoots of the ascending aorta are.

Personally, I think it's more critical that people know that eating all that fat and high carb shit increases their chances of thrombi and later emboli via all the plaque they build up in their arteries, than to know the exact location of their heart and other internal viscera.

It's worth noting that in the original article, they found that even people with health conditions often did not bother to familiarize themselves with the particular parts of their own anatomy that were failing. That says a lot about the intellectual curiosity of the average person.

[Knife]

Fair enough and I feel more comfortable bitching about that aspect. You really don't have to know the intricate details of a gas powered engine rather know to have the oil changed every 3k miles and a yearly safety inspection. Same with your body, can't trace the ducting from your Pancreas to your Duodenum? I'm cool with that, but know about plague build up and high protein diets age your kidneys.

[Qwerty 42]

I can attest that there could easily by some confusion about the heart's location: some science teachers in school taught me it was dead-center in the chest, others that it was left-center. I would imagine that very few answered far right or far left, however, so it's not as bad as it might appear at first blush.

[CarsonPalmer]

I just don't get how you can't notice your freaking heart, though...I can feel it pounding away after a good run or a bike ride. It seems rather hard not to notice.

[Dark Flame]

I can attest that there could easily by some confusion about the heart's location: some science teachers in school taught me it was dead-center in the chest, others that it was left-center. I would imagine that very few answered far right or far left, however, so it's not as bad as it might appear at first blush.

I'd agree with this. With two options being "slight left" and "dead center," there's not a lot of differentiating between the two. Even if I put my hand on my chest, it's hard to tell if it's a little more left, or just right in the middle.

[Fr33ze]

The only selling point is the title of the article. CNN managed to satisfy its American audience at least.

[Oskuro]

You really don't have to know the intricate details of a gas powered engine rather know to have the oil changed every 3k miles and a yearly safety inspection.

Agreed, but it'd be reasonable that you at least knew wich part of the car is the engine, and where is it.

[Rye]

You would've thought that they'd at least know the general area of the stomach and heart due to heartburn. I find this extremely odd, but I don't really give a shit. Average Joe isn't going to need to use that information ever.

[Broomstick]

I'm not at all surprised - who ever studies anatomy? People have a vague idea that there are lumpy meaty bits inside them, but that's about it.

This is also why dissection of a human cadaver is considered an important part of medical training - it's a lot harder to forget this stuff when you've opened up a body, removed, and actually touched all the bits.

I have a better than average knowledge of anatomy having studied it while getting my degree, including drawing from actual preserved specimens but I'd still have a hard time locating the pancreas and have trouble remembering which side the liver is usually on. But, honestly, how important is it that a diabetic know exactly where his pancreas is, versus knowing how to manage his blood sugar which is the really important thing he needs to know to manage his condition?

And, oh yeah, in the US this sort of knowledge is going to vary widely depending on region and socio-economic class. I've met all too many people convinced that women really do have one more set of ribs than men because the Bible says so.

[Adrian Laguna]

And, oh yeah, in the US this sort of knowledge is going to vary widely depending on region and socio-economic class. I've met all too many people convinced that women really do have one more set of ribs than men because the Bible says so.

They fail at reading comprehension. The Bible says Adam has one less rib, nowhere does it say that this condition was inherited by all of his male descendants.

[Broomstick]

I would like to introduce you to my in-laws, many of whom really are illiterate and rely on whatever the quasi-educated rabid preacher tells them, or whatever distorted bullshit has been handed down by word of mouth for however many generations.

The pity is that the tradition of hunting has entirely died out in that crowd, because I would expect that anyone who hunts game or butchers their own meat would have some notion of anatomy simply from cutting critters up.

[mr friendly guy]

Isn't the heart the thing that you can feel beating when you put your hand over it? How can you miss it?

If you are a skinny guy, yeah sure. If you are fat or just have a big chest wall, it might be a bit difficult.