Where do we come from? What brings us together? Why do we love? Why do we destroy?
On Humans features conversations with leading scholars about human nature, ...
An Unusual Ape: The Deep Origins of Our Human Oddities ~ Dean Falk
The story continues! In part 2 of the Origins of Humankind, we trace the first steps of our ancestors after they left the chimpanzee lineage.To get humanity going, our ancestors had to wander through millions of years of what anthropologist Dean Falk has called the Botanic Age. It's a time shrouded in mist, yet it may hold the key to some of humanity’s most defining traits — from language and music to our clumsy toes and our large brains.On this walk through the mysteries of the Botanic Age, our guide is Dean Falk herself. She is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and the world's leading expert on human brain evolution. Together, we try to make sense of topics such as:The common ancestor between humans and chimpanzeesAgainst “Man the Toolmaker”: Tool use in other apesThe walking ape: how bipedalism shaped our ancestorsOrigins of languageOrigins of musicSize matters, but… The early evolution of the human brainAs always, we finish with the guest’s reflections on humanity.MORE LINKSMore stuff (including written highlights): OnHumans.Substack.com/OriginsSupport the show: Patreon.com/OnHumansFree lectures on human origins: CARTADean Falk’s book: The Botanic AgeWHAT'S NEXTOrigins of Humankind #3: What Is a Human?The stage has been set. It is time for humanity to enter. But what is a human? What makes a skeleton fall into the Genus "Homo"? And why did this puzzling genus evolve?Key questions: Why did humans evolve? And how do modern humans differ from Neanderthals or other extinct humans?Our guide: Chris Stringer is an iconic figure in the field, best known for his groundbreaking work towards the widely accepted Out of Africa -theory of human evolution. His career at London’s Natural History Museum stretches across five decades. When: April 9th, 2025KEYWORDSAnthropology | Primatology Human evolution | Human origins | Homo Erectus | Australopithecine | Australopithecus africanus | Brain evolution | Paleoneurology | Apes | Great apes | Chimpanzees | Bonobos | Gorillas | LSA | Cognitive evolution | Cognitive archaeology | Baby slings | Motherse | Parentese | Baby talk | Putting the baby down -hypothesis | Radiator theory
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The Big Picture: From the Origin of Life to the Rise of Humans ~ Tim Coulson
Welcome to the first episode of the Origins of Humankind!In this sweeping first episode, we cover the entire planetary backstory of human existence – from the origins of life to the climate change that kickstarted human evolution. Our expert guide on this journey is Tim Coulson, the Head of Biology at the University of Oxford and the author of A Universal History of Us. The episode explores questions such as:What is "life”? How did it begin?The surprising role of meteors (even before dinosaurs)Why animals? “Ediacaran Garden” and the dawn of predatorsBlood, bones, and the dawn of “terrestrial fish” (yup, that’s us!)Our ancestors amongst the dinosaursFruits and snakes in primate evolutionThe climate change that made humanity The rise and spread of humans As always, we finish with the guest’s reflections on humanity.MORE LINKSMore stuff: OnHumans.Substack.com/OriginsSupport the show: Patreon.com/OnHumansFree lectures on human origins: CARTATim Coulson’s book: A Universal History of UsNEXT EPISODE#2 An Unusual Ape (Tuesday 2nd of April)In episode two, we follow the first steps on the human line, exploring how abandoning life in the trees paved the way for many of our human oddities.Key questions: Why was upright posture so important? What did it do to parents and children? When did the brains of our ancestors start to show human oddities?Your guide: Dean Falk, a leading expert on brain evolution at the University of Florida. She recently published a book titled A Botanic Age, looking at human evolution before the Stone Age.Stay tuned. And subscribe to On Humans.KEYWORDSEvolution | Human evolution | Human origins | Origin of life | Emergence of life | Abiogenesis | Natural history | History of life | Meteors | Organic chemistry | Vertebrate evolution | Tetrapods | Dinosaurs | Pleistocene | Predators | Early humans | Austrolopithecins | Lucy | Homo erectus | Homo ergaster | Homo sapiens | Megafauna extinction | Humanity | Carl Sagan | Ediacaran Garden | Cambrian Explosion | Mesozoic | Jurassic | Triassic | Cretaceous | The Great Oxigenation Event | Sauropsids | Synapsids |
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Trailer | Origins of Humankind
Where do we come from? How did we get here? What kind of creature are we?The science of human origins has made great progress in answering these timeless questions. From carbon isotopes to ancient DNA extraction, we now have unprecedented tools to explore our past. But with all this detail, it’s easy to miss the forest from the trees.To fill this gap, On Humans has partnered with CARTA — a UC San Diego-based research unit on human origins. Together, we have designed a five-episode journey to dig deep into the new science of the origins of humankind. Together, these episodes explore the emerging science of how we became the puzzling and wonderful creatures we are today. The series begins tomorrow. Subscribe now free episode and written summaries at:Onhumans.Substack.com/OriginsSERIES OVERVIEW#1 The Big PictureThe series begins with a sweeping take on the history of life on Earth, from the origin of life to the rise of humans.Key questions: What is life? Who were our ancestors during the dinosaurs? What led to the rise of primates? And what kind of a primate are we?Your guide: Tim Coulson is the Head of the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. He recently released a breathtaking overview of the history of life and the universe titled A Universal History of Us.When: March 25th#2 An Unusual ApeIn episode two, we follow the first steps on the human line, exploring how abandoning life in the trees paved the way for many of our human oddities.Key questions: Why was upright posture so important? What did it do to parents and children? When did the brains of our ancestors start to show human oddities?Your guide: Dean Falk, a leading expert on brain evolution at the University of Florida. She recently published a book titled A Botanic Age, looking at human evolution behind the Stone Age.When: April 2nd#3 What Is a Human?The stage has been set. The third episode tackles human evolution head-on, focusing on the new scientific discoveries about the genus Homo.Key questions: What is a human? Why did we evolve? And how do modern humans differ from Neanderthals or other extinct humans?Your guide: Chris Stringer is an iconic figure in the field, best known for his groundbreaking work towards the widely accepted Out of Africa -theory of human evolution. His career at London’s Natural History Museum stretches across five decades.When: April 9th#4-5: The Story of Sapiens (In Two Parts)The series finishes with two episodes on the story of Homo sapiens, using the magic of ancient DNA to tell a genuinely global history of our species.Key question: How did migrations shape the human story? Why are we the only humans left? And how did humans spread worldwide, first as hunters and gatherers, then as farmers and shepherds?Your guide: In 2010, Johannes Krause became the first person to discover a new species of humans by DNA alone. Co-author of Hubris, and A Short History of Humanity, he is the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology.When: March 16th & 23rdSUBSCRIBE Onhumans.Substack.com/Origins
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What About India? Part II: Success and Stagnation In the World’s Largest Democracy ~ Bishnupriya Gupta
India’s history isn’t just the story of one nation—it’s the story of one-sixth of humanity. It’s also a lens for understanding how colonialism, democracy, and globalization shaped the modern world. This mini-series offers a human-centred perspective on that remarkable story, focusing on how politics and trade impacted the lives of ordinary Indians. In Part 1, we explored the decline of the Mughals and the long stretch of British rule. In Part 2, we turn to India's independent journey as the world’s largest democracy. To guide us through this complex history, I’m joined again by Bishnupriya Gupta, a professor of economics and the author of the excellent Economic History of India. In this episode, we discuss:The legacy of British colonialism in independent India / Why India fell behind the economic miracle of East Asian countries like China / The successes and challenges of India’s democracy in shaping its economic future / What happened to inequality in India during independence?As always, we finish with my guest’s reflections on humanity.MENTIONS Past episodes: What About China (with Yasheng Huang, #44-46)Keywords: Independent India | British colonialism | British Raj | Indian nationalism | Indian industry | Economic inequality | Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru | Nehruvian period | National Congress | China miracle | Human capital formation | Literacy | Primary vs higher education | Poverty reduction | LINKSRead more at OnHumans.Substack.com. You can also find On Humans on YouTube and BlueSky!Feeling generous? Join the wonderful group of my patrons at Patreon.com/OnHumans, or get in touch for other ways to support!Email: makela dot ilari at outlook dot com
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What About India? Part I: Mughals, British, and the Causes of Poverty ~ Bishnupriya Gupta
Following the success of last year’s What About China -trilogy, I’m delighted to introduce a two-part series on the economic history of India. This series examines the origins of modern India by focusing on politics, poverty, and the experience of ordinary Indians from 1600 till today.The first episode covers the decline of the Mughals and the hugely controversial rule of the British East India Company and, later, the British Crown.One thing is clear: Most Indians lived in poverty when the British left. So, how much of Indian poverty was due to British policies? How much was shaped by deeper trends? And what should we make of those infamous railways?To tackle these questions, I’m joined by Bishnupriya Gupta, a professor of economics at the University of Warwick and one of the world’s leading historians of the Indian economy. Her new book, An Economic History of India, provides a uniquely objective and data-driven exploration of India’s history, focusing on the well-being of ordinary people.In this episode, we discuss:Indian vs English living standards in 1600 / The impact of British colonialism on India’s economy / The Great Famines of Bengal / What both imperial apologists and Indian nationalists get wrong about the British rule. In the end, Gupta also explains why Mahatma Gandhi's education might be a clue as to why India lagged behind East Asia in the 20th Century. Enjoy — and stay tuned for Part II on the era of Independence!MENTIONSBooks: An Economic History of India by Bishnupriya Gupta; The Great Divergence by Kenneth Pomerantz; Other scholars: Stephen Broadberry | Prasannan Parthasarathy | Nico Voigtländer & Hans-Joachim Voth | Indrajit Ray | Oded Galor (see episodes #12 and #13) On Humans episode: What About China (with Yasheng Huang, #44-46); Birth of Modern Prosperity (with Daron Acemoglu; Oded Galor, Brad DeLong; Branko Milanovic, after #40) Keywords: Mughal India | British colonialism | British Rad | East India Company | Indian nationalism | Indian deindustrialisation | Cotton trade | Indian railways | Primary vs higher education | Great Bengali faminesLINKSRead more at OnHumans.Substack.com. You can also find On Humans on YouTube and BlueSky!Feeling generous? Join the wonderful group of my patrons at Patreon.com/OnHumans, or get in touch for other ways to support!Email: makela dot ilari at outlook dot com
Where do we come from? What brings us together? Why do we love? Why do we destroy?
On Humans features conversations with leading scholars about human nature, human condition, and the human journey. From the origins of war to the psychology of love, each topic brings fresh insights into perennial questions about our self-understanding.
Support: Patreon.com/OnHumans
Articles: OnHumans.Substack.com
Focus areas: Anthropology, Psychology, Archaeology, Philosophy, Big History
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