the siesta

The British are getting smart. They are trying to import one of the healthiest institutions of Catholic countries - the siesta. Unfortunately I do not think they will succeed at it. Their culture is too much action-prone and the siesta is exactly the opposite of action.
I find this paragraph cute: "But is it good for UK business? Research shows that humans are hit with an energy lull in the early afternoon (...)" , as it seems to suggest that there is no life outside of science. How could our ancestors have developed the institution of the siesta without those impressive findings of modern scientific research?