Evolution has given apes, including humans, many astonishing advantages. But it has also taken some things away. Unlike monkeys, apes do not have tails. Evolution has taken our tails away from us.
For most mammal species, a long tail is very helpful in maintaining equilibrium, by counterbalancing the displacement of weight during motion, whether swinging from branches or walking. We humans have learned to walk just fine without tails, but there are some people who have equilibrium problems and cannot easily walk straight. I am one of those people.
Never fear, technology comes to the rescue. Japanese researchers have designed a prosthetic tail, about a meter long, with artificial vertebrae. I understand you strap it on with a belt. It can counterbalance movement in any direction and keep the person who wears it from falling over, or so it is claimed. I understand the tail is covered with a furry skin so it looks more natural.
I wonder what ever made researchers think that people would ever want to wear an artificial tail. Maybe they should sell it with a matching collar, so that if I get one, my wife can hold me on a leash. But most of us would prefer looking like we have equilibrium problems, while we use canes, than to wear tails. Stephen Vincent Benét wrote short story in which a humanoid cat conducted an orchestra by twitching his tail; others have written similar stories.
Every evolutionary change has costs and benefits. And if we try to make an artificial adjustment to what evolution has given us, it is difficult and expensive. And embarrassing too.
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