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From The Sage Gateshead, evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel gives a talk entitled 'evolution and humanity - what next?', for the 2012 Free Thinking festival.

Evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel gives a talk on Evolution and Humanity - What Next? at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival.

Why have humans evolved to speak so many incomprehensible languages? Why do we work against our own survival by going to war with one another?

Professor Mark Pagel, Head of the Evolution Laboratory at the University of Reading and author of Wired for Culture, argues that despite today's incredible cultural diversity, humanity has been steadily evolving from small tribes to huge nation states.

Are we moving towards a unified world of one language and one state?

The event is chaired by Night Waves presenter Rana Mitter and was recorded as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival 2012.

First broadcast in November 2012.

Available now

45 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Fri 16 Nov 2012 22:00
  • Wed 24 Jul 2013 22:00

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