The entire point of using a symbol is that it conveys meaning and saves space. But sometimes the meaning of a symbol will get lost to history, and we'll just keep right on using it anyway.
Evolution is a fickle mistress. We have opposable thumbs, but also get headaches if we eat ice cream too fast. But some of the everyday annoyances that drive us crazy are exactly what made modern humanity possible.
Nobody likes to think of their intelligence as something that can get weak and flabby due to things that are out of our control. Science says otherwise.
Science, as it usually does, has some surprising and kind of scary things to tell us. Apparently, no matter what kind of life you lead, scientists can still figure out who you'll be at 30 based on who you were as a toddler.
In an era where our gadgets exceed the science fiction of just 20 years ago, it's amazing how many everyday annoyances have never gotten fixed. It's not like folks haven't tried. It's just way more complicated than it seems.
