Torpor
A state of reduced physiological activity, typically characterized by lowered body temperature, metabolic rate, and heart rate. A short-term survival strategy that conserves energy during unfavorable conditions.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 5 chapters:
"...t consume half its body weight in nectar daily just to stay alive. At night, when it can't feed, the hummingbird does something remarkable: it enters torpor, a hibernation-like state where its metabolic rate drops dramatically, its body temperature falls, and it essentially shuts down non-essential system..."
"...pm (75-85% reduction) - Metabolic rate: ~75% reduction - Lower emergence risk: ~2-3% mortality; can wake if disturbed - Duration: 5-7 months Daily Torpor (Minimal Duration): - Hummingbirds, some bats, small rodents - Body temperature drops nightly (to 50-60°F / 10-15°C) - Metabolic rate: 50-90% reduc..."
"...Metabolic Suppression from Body Temperature." Science 331, no. 6019 (2011): 906-909. > Supports: Hibernation physiology, metabolic rates during torpor, body temperature regulation mechanisms --- Mammalian Energy Storage and Metabolism Pond, Caroline M. The Fats of Life."
"14% for hibernation Buck, C. Loren, and Brian M. Barnes. "Effects of Ambient Temperature on Metabolic Rate, Respiratory Quotient, and Torpor in an Arctic Hibernator." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 279, no."
"Rates of rewarming, heart and respiratory rates and their significance for oxygen transport during arousal from torpor in the smallest mammal, the Etruscan shrew Suncus etruscus. Journal of Experimental Biology, 200(10), 1451-1458."
Biological Context
Hummingbirds enter torpor nightly, reducing metabolism by 95% to survive until morning. Bears enter prolonged torpor (often called hibernation) for months. Bats can reduce metabolic rate by 98%. Unlike true hibernation, torpor can be entered and exited quickly, making it a flexible response to temporary resource scarcity.
Business Application
Companies with torpor capacity can drastically reduce burn rate during downturns. WeWork failed partly because it lacked torpor capacity—fixed costs were so high that when revenue dropped, it couldn't reduce metabolism fast enough. Companies should structure operations so they can reduce burn by 60-70% within 30 days if needed.