We need the ability for the sebaceous glands in the skin to create UV-absorbing chemicals (at least when the UV intensity reaches a certain threshold, or when the body already has enough vitamin D). Hippos supposedly do this already. It’s true that human melatonin, a skin pigment, offers some protection, but reliance upon melatonin alone will always be inadequate, as even Africans can develop melanoma; it’s just not as common for them as it is for caucasians. Surely we can formulate a more effective natural sunblock agent, and make it equally available to all…
I would redesign the interior surface of the cranium so as to be smoother and thus less harmful to the brain when subjected to violent forces and concussions.
I would tweak the chemistry of our nervous tissues to reduce their vulnerability to ethyl alcohol, nicotine, and aluminum. Currently, the tissues of the brain are quick to absorb alcohol from the bloodstream; all cells are thus affected, and many die, even when exposed to low, non-intoxicating amounts of alcohol. (I read once that every ounce of alcohol kills 50,000 brain cells… this is outrageously negligent aspect of our design, if true.) A better response range would be largely limited to slight intoxication, with no resultant morbidity of the neurons. In such a scenario, overconsumption would still result in weight gain (alcohol being high in calories), but not severe intoxication, and no lasting harm to the brain would ensue. On a similar note, I would lessen the reactivity of the brain’s “pleasure center”'s response to nicotine. There aren’t any significant and unique benefits to tobacco consumption that aren’t far outweighed by the risks to health. And with respect to the dangers of aluminum, it appears that Alzheimer’s is either caused by or results in the formation of aluminum-containing plaques on the brain. This appears to represent a two-fold oversight: the inability to chelate or excrete excess aluminum, and the tendency of the brain to form these harmful plaques. Surely we should be able to eliminate at least one of these apparent factors in Alzheimer’s…?
Hymens and foreskins: the rupturing of the hymen is unnecessarily difficult and painful in their original design, and is often stressful and shocking, as well as excruciating. In addition, such wounding renders the female (temporarily) highly vulnerable to infection; this is an epidemiological factor in the ease of transmission of venereal diseases from males to females – particularly so in cultures which maintain the erroneous belief that sex with a virgin can “cure” a diseased male. On a similar note, the foreskin is believed to present a heightened risk of infection via the microscopic tears and ruptures which it can be prone to. While surgical removal of the foreskin is usually a simple enough procedure, it is believed by many to be traumatic to the (usually) infant who experiences it. And as is the case with any medical procedure, mistakes can happen. Far better to simply eliminate it by design…
Menstruation entails a considerable waste of nutrients as well as an inconvenient, unpleasant, and sometimes painful disruption of the reproductive cycle. Far better for ovulation to be stimulated by hormonal changes triggered by the twinned impulses of love and the desire to create a baby, sustained at a certain high intensity, over a certain period of time. But even if voluntary ovulation proves to be impossible to engineer, the process of menstuation could still be reduced or even eliminated entirely. An unfertilized ovum is very tiny, and poses no health risk to the female. Why couldn’t it, and the prepared uterine lining all be reabsorbed by the uterus?
