Mark Pagel
Mark Pagel
Mark David Pagel FRS is a Professor and head of the Evolutionary Biology Group at the University of Reading...
ProfessionScientist
brains humans possible terms themselves
Humans like to think of themselves as unusual. We've got big brains that make it possible for us to think, and we think that we have free will and that our behavior can't be described by some mechanistic set of theorems or ideas. But even in terms of much of our behavior, we really aren't very different from other animals.
cultural human languages range
Human cultural diversity is vast; the range of cultural practices, beliefs, and languages that we speak is vast.
acquires animal genes knowledge living means pass rather rules
Having culture means we are the only animal that acquires the rules of its daily living from the accumulated knowledge of our ancestors, rather than from the genes they pass to us.
among arms best brains conflicts engaged interest less owe race social
We owe our big brains less to inventiveness than to conflicts of interest among social minds engaged in an arms race to be the best at manipulating others.