Human Origins by Adam Rutherford

Darwin College Lecture Series
Darwin College Lecture Series
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Published 2020-01-23
We like to think of ourselves as exceptional beings, but are we really any more special than other animals? Humans are the slightest of twigs on a single family tree that encompasses four billion years, a lot of twists and turns, and a billion species. All of those organisms are rooted in a single origin, with a common code that underwrites our existence. This paradox – that our biology is indistinct from all life, yet we consider ourselves to be special – lies at the heart of who we are. This was also the paradox that lies at the heart of Darwin’s second magnum opus, The Descent of Man.

In this lecture I will explore how many of the things once considered (including by Darwin) to be exclusively human are in fact not: we are not the only species that communicates, makes tools, utilises fire, or has sex for reasons other than to make new versions of ourselves. Evolution has, however, allowed us to develop our culture to a level of complexity that outstrips any other observed in nature, and it is the sharing of ideas that our own evolution has taken us down a path distinct from other species.

Adam Rutherford is a science writer and broadcaster. He studied genetics at University College London, and a PhD on the genetics of the developing eye. He has written and presented many award-winning series and programmes for the BBC , including the flagship weekly BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Science and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with Dr Hannah Fry. He is the author of several books about evolution and genetics, including A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, the Book of Humans and the forthcoming How To Argue With a Racist.
All Comments (21)
  • @Dr10Jeeps
    These lectures at Cambridge as well as those at the Royal Institute are what make the internet so valuable. Thank you!
  • @Keshet59
    The actual lecture starts at 4:04. Introductions do have a tendency to drone on.
  • @gooddaysahead1
    I know this sounds very uncool. But, listening to a lecture like this is my idea of fun.
  • @embe1
    Watching this from East Africa, not far from the rift valley with a sense of wonder.
  • @dr.barrycohn5461
    Don't you think the title is a wee bit grandiose and misleading?
  • @dwightcollman4917
    This lecture is mind-blowing for most-everyone should hear it and see it
  • @akizeta
    48:00-ish I didn't get the joke about fire? Is it because I haven't listened to Radio 4 for a while, or is it something so obvious I can't see it?
  • @TheJamesRedwood
    42:50 Orca are a good example of cultural dissemination of information. Each different population has a particular group of prey and a particular way of hunting that isn't simply observed but actively taught from adult to young. Meerkats also create schools for their young, teaching them how to deal with scorpions, using a scaffolding method - gradually increasing the difficulty level as the students progress. Thanks again David Attenborough and the BBC natural history unit. Has any public service been more advantageous to human knowledge?
  • @lucasgssilveira
    Informative and entertaining as always (I missed a bit Hannah Fry's sense of humour, so I'll listen to an episode of their podcast :)
  • @amparo665
    Very funny and interesting lecture , thank you !
  • @vadinhopsc
    Now, talking about human origins being named Adam is at least ironic... Nice lecture! Love Darwin College lectures.
  • @DaboooogA
    Very difficult topic to summarise as Adam has here, well done.
  • @stefski5853
    Hard to believe there are only 80k views for something so well presented and integral to our ourselves.