Neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky is one of the world’s leading educators and an expert in the biology of human behavior, stress and coping. Sapolsky’s research crosses over into primatology, human ethology and neuroscience, and investigates the deep origins and function of individuality. Sapolsky’s previous work on stress and its effects on individual well-being are widely acclaimed. He is the author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and many other popular books on biology and the human predicament.
Below is a video of Sapolsky giving a presentation to a graduating class at Stanford University on “the uniqueness of humans”:
See also: Bonobos, Culture and Human Uniqueness
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6 comments:
Wow, this guy has spent WAY too much time studying monkeys.
yeah but at least his beard is cool...
That's what I mean...
If you start spending a lot of time with monkeys you begin to not only to look at humans differently but look like a monkey too. But boy, what a mind! Very interesting indeed. Explains why we PMT together at work...maybe we need a few more men in the office, right? I guess this info could come in handy for human resources…
This is a very interesting video. Makes Pavlov seem passé. Thanks for sharing it. Could use some dopamine myself at the moment.
PS I could listen to this guy forever!!! So thanks again!
Purple Cow,
Sapolsky is great - humorous and infomative, and he is widely recognized as a leading expert in neuroscience and an outstanding teacher. His classes are always overflowing and have wait lists you wouldn't believe.
I think it is so important to begin thinking about human life as radically natural in every way: we are primates with fancy communication (and semiotic) systems and tools, but we take ourselves as mirror images of gods. I can count the ways how such thinking retards our life.
we all need to look closer...
thanks for your comments!
hmmm so true.
Who would have thought that being a neuroscience expert could be such a humbling experience?
"we are primates with fancy communication (and semiotic) systems and tools, but we take ourselves as mirror images of gods." So true!
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