Researching the implications of downsizing the human species to better fit the earth.
Although animal science has traditionally emphasized bigness, the 1991 report Micro-Livestock: Little-Known Animals with a Promising Economic Future shows that smallness has many advantages. If in the future the human species will become smaller, we will benefit from most of the advantages listed below. Small animals…
The Japanese have a natural pull towards miniaturisation that never seizes to inspire our investigation into smallerness. Our series on Japanese Miniatures zooms in on this special quality. It articulates a sensitivity for smallness that, through a process of abstraction, may ultimately help us attain…
The Disproportionate Restaurant investigates how downsizing the human species will affect our relationship with food. Over the past years we did a number of experiments, including abundance fantasies such as the Ostrich BBQ and Sunflower Table and explorations of new ingredients and possibilities such as…
Exaggerated consumption of milk stimulates an undesirable increase in human height through stimulation of the production of growth hormone. Milk cows also have a considerable environmental footprint because they’re fed high protein diets. One of humanity’s defense mechanisms against these two undesirable effects is lactose…
Exaggeration cards are picture postcards depicting enormously oversized fruits, vegetables and livestock. First appearing in Fresno in 1905 the cards quickly struck a chord throughout the western United States. These “tall-tale postcards” became especially prevalent in small town rural communities hoping to forge an identity…
The Incredible Shrinking Man is interested to know what consequences can be expected for human height if nutrition availability after birth doesn’t match predictions by the fetus on the basis of its prenatal environment. During pre-birth development fetuses prepare for the world outside by using the…
The 1991 OFA report ‘Microlivestock: Little-known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future’ introduces several alternative small animals for domestication and meat and dairy production. Small animals are easier to breed and keep, and are a quick way of supplementing a diet, especially in less…