Why We Choose How to Step Over Puddles
Human locomotion over obstacles reveals real-time prediction of energy expenditure for optimized decision-making
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people walk over holes in the ground, they pick the easiest way to cross — not by how fast, but by how little energy it takes, and they decide before they even get there, just by looking.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
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Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people walk over holes in the ground, they pick the easiest way to cross — not by how fast, but by how little energy it takes, and they decide before they even get there, just by looking.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 527 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
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Claims (5)
People can look ahead and decide how to step over a hole without feeling it first—they use what they see to guess which way will use less energy.
If the hole is wide but shallow, it’s easier to step down and up; if it’s narrow but deep, it’s better to jump over—people pick the option that uses less energy based on the hole’s shape.
Human physiology is evolutionarily optimized to minimize energy expenditure during metabolic processes.
People don’t just try to save energy on one step—they think ahead about the whole sequence of steps and pick the path that saves the most energy overall.
When people walk over holes or gaps, they pick the easiest way to cross—like stepping over or stepping down and up—based on which one feels like it uses less energy, even if they can’t feel it until after they’ve decided.