Final answer:
People flinch due to the flight or fight response, an evolutionary trait where hormones like adrenaline prepare the body to react to threats. This response, molded by natural selection, is part of survival instincts shared by many mammals. Newton's first law explains physical sensations during rapid motion changes, such as in a jet or car.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why Do People Flinch?
People have a tendency to flinch when an object is flying towards them due to an automatic response curated through evolution for protection, known as the flight or fight response. Reflexes like flinching are part of these survival reactions. It prepares the body to either fight against the potential threat or flee from it. Natural selection has likely shaped this response over generations, as those who could quickly react to danger were more likely to survive and reproduce.
Fight or Flight Response
The fight or flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived threat to survival. This response involves the release of hormones by the adrenal glands, which lead to increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and other changes that prime the body to either defend itself or escape. This response is evident in many mammals, including humans, and serves as an adaptive trait that natural selection has favored.
Newton's Laws and Everyday Experiences
Our everyday experiences, such as being pushed back into a seat during a jet takeoff or feeling a sensation to the opposite side when making a tight turn, can be explained by Newton's first law of motion. This law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion, in a straight line, unless acted upon by a net external force. These sensations result from our bodies' resistance to the change in motion, showcasing the principles of inertia and the relation to apparent forces.