Scientist busts myths about how humans burn calories
On a warm Wednesday morning in October, Herman Pontzer puts on a wrinkled lab coat, adjusts his mask, and heads into his lab at Duke University, hoping to stress out a student. An undergraduate named Christina is resting on a lab table with her head in a clear plastic hood. Pontzer greets her formally and launches into a time-honored method to boost her blood pressure: He gives her an oral math test. "Start off with number 1022 and subtract 13 until you get to zero," he says, speaking at full volume to be heard over a clanking air conditioner. "If you make a mistake, we'll start over again. You ready to go?" "1009, 997," Christina says. "Start over," Pontzer barks. Christina, who has signed up for a "stress test," laughs nervously. She tries again and gets to 889, only to have Pontzer stop her. This happens again and again. Then Pontzer asks her to multiply 505 by 117, out loud. By this point, she is clenching her sock-clad ...