One of the most spectacular feats of such creatures as bats, bees and snakes is hibernation. For months at a time, these animals essentially go into power-save mode. Their temperature drops, metabolism slows down and oxygen consumption is limited to minimal levels.
This basic adaptation helps them survive the harshest of environmental conditions.
A new study raises the extraordinary possibility that humans may be able to put themselves into a kind of hibernation state as well — but in a way that hurts us rather than helps us….