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PODCAST

The History of Being Human

History, anatomy and physiology, philosophy, psychology, anthropology. The podcast that attempts to resurrect sense and meaning from the dust of a billion factoids.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-being-human--5806452/support.

history philosophy

All Episodes

30:01

Know Thyself 37: Mob Mentality and Morality with Rob...

The History of Being Human ·

2019/05/14

Today we introduce our series on Mob Madness and Mass Delusions. I speak to Rob Henderson, PhD student in psychology and Gates scholar studying moral psychology (not his own) at Cambridge University. Topics include the physical pain of social ostracism, herd mentality, moral foundations theory, whether members of a screeching, seething mob are morally responsible for their activities, and the dangerous downside to creating your own personal echo chamber of like-minded people online. Grab your torch

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50:02

Know Thyself 36: Ancient Hominin Predators to Modern...

The History of Being Human ·

2019/05/03

The bones of our ancient relatives and prehistoric ancestors bear the puncture wounds, scrapings, and bite marks that tell a horrifying tale of predation. Who and what we are has been shaped by what we had to duck, run, jump, and hide from. But if you really want to know what preyed on us in the past, look no further that at what eats us now. From the Talon Holes in the Taung Child's skull to the bite marks on Peking Man, from the Beast of Gevaudan to the Leopard of Panar, here are a few of the

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40:17

Know Thyself 35: Climate Change and Human History

The History of Being Human ·

2019/04/16

In this episode we learn that we are tough to kill and hard to keep alive. Within our sphere we are durable and resilient, but that sphere is very narrow indeed. We survive catastrophes, searing heat, crippling injuries, and seemingly mortal wounds. But could we survive in any other time and place than here and now? This is an open question. Artwork: Oz by Ian Armstrong Music: Icy Vindur by A Himitsu

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40:16

Know Thyself 34: The Bugs are Going to Win with Mark...

The History of Being Human ·

2019/03/25

Our relationship with microorganisms is *ahem* complicated...mostly symbiotic, but often combative and, yes, fatal. In this episode I speak with a physician on the front lines of the battle to the death between viruses, amoebas, and bacteria and their human victims. Dr. Mark Crisplin in an infectious disease doctor in Portland, OR, and the author of a bi-weekly blog and several books. He is also and app-maker and an award-winning podcaster, creator of the now discontinued QuackWatch series and the

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54:48

Know Thyself 33: Smallpox

The History of Being Human ·

2019/03/18

The Adapt or Die Series goes Viral... Egyptians, Hittites, Athenians, Romans -- outbreak after outbreak Variola major has been a pox on our house from time immemorial. No other disease has weakened and crippled empires and wiped entire peoples off the earth like smallpox. It killed 400-500 million in the 20th Century alone. And now, through a millennium-long effort of blowing scab powder, scraping lesions, and really listening to dairy maids, it's gone. Almost. Artwork: Oz by Ian Armstrong

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54:41

Know Thyself 32: Plague Life 1347-1351

The History of Being Human ·

2019/03/07

The puking flea apocalypse! This is one of the rare events in history where the death toll is constantly being revised HIGHER as new data comes in. By recent estimates, possibly 40% of THE WORLD killed by the Great Plague. What was it like to live during the end of the world? What did the dying -- and those who remained alive -- experience? How did people understand what was happening? Who did they burn and torture? In this episode are 1st hand accounts of the Black Death. A blow-by-blow recounting

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27:52

Know Thyself 31: The Black Death -- Rumblings in the...

The History of Being Human ·

2019/03/01

Where did the plague that ravaged Europe in the mid-1300's come from? How did it get there? Today we begin a three episode series on the Great Black Death Plague of Europe that killed millions and rewrote history. We stare unblinking into the face of arguably the worst catastrophe in the history of humanity. Herein you will hear of flying corpses, the dawn of germ warfare, where some of the deadliest diseases known to man hang out, and why one English Princess never made it to her own wedding. In

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33:27

Know Thyself 30: The Plague of Justinian

The History of Being Human ·

2019/02/12

In which we begin our "Adapt or Die" Series. The Byzantine empire was under attack, and tens of thousands of people in Constantinople were dying every week. It wasn't the Vandals or the Ostragoths, it was a disease that brought terror and death on a massive scale. Even the Great Justinian himself is not spared from the illness. Corpse halls, ghost ships, headless sailors, plague-ridden serpents, fever dreams and apocalyptic visions, and the wrath of God. We begin the episode with an intro to our

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72:30

Know Thyself 29: Adolf Hitler -- Worst Human Ever

The History of Being Human ·

2019/01/28

The conclusion to the worst people ever series winds up falling to Godwin's Law. This is one of those rare cases where cliche, popular opinion, and received knowledge happen to be absolutely right: Hitler was as bad as human beings get. Aggressor and instigator of world's most deadly war. Instigator of thuggery and riots. Murderer of former friends. Head of the coldest, most clinical and industrial, act of mass murder in history. Prancing ranting provocateur. Mama's boy.

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47:52

Know Thyself 28: The Lisbon Apocalypse with Susan...

The History of Being Human ·

2019/01/14

The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 and The Holocaust What do these events have in common? They were both seminal events that challenged two different eras relationship to, and understanding of, evil. Today I speak with Dr. Susan Neiman, director of The Einstein Forum, devotee of the enlightenment, moral crusader (well, sort of?), and author of "Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy." Link: https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Modern-Thought-Alternative-Philosophy/dp/0691168504 We

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77:41

Know Thyself 27: 2nd Worst Ever -- The Man of Steel

The History of Being Human ·

2019/01/01

The Real Life Big Brother that brought fear, suspicion, and distrust to the lives of 200 million people. A man who believed you should kill your enemies, but kill your friends first. He demanded suppression, repression, execution, deportation, and propaganda on an empiric scale. A man so vain that showing a picture of him with his blemishes could put you on his list of enemies. He sent squads to ice-axe murder a rival. His final activity as leader was to plan another glorious show-trial terror

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39:51

Know Thyself 2: The Cannibal Colonists of Jamestown

The History of Being Human ·

2018/12/09

The first English settlement in the New World was *ahem* less than successful. You've seen the Disney version. Now hear the real story, which is so much better. Greed, incompetence, flayings, drownings, salted wife, thumb screws and executions, boiled saddles, cracked skulls, gunpowder burns, shipwrecks and mutiny, rats and cats and serpents, and many other "things which seame incredible." High drama, now recovered in the long lost kickoff to the cannibalism series. Graphic: Oz by Ian Armstrong

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56:02

Know Thyself 26: 3rd Worst Ever -- The Wrath of Khan

The History of Being Human ·

2018/11/27

A man in whom there is much to admire. Except for his pioneering studies in mass genocide, I guess. And all the gratuitous violence, of course. And the fact that he killed and displaced so many humans that the earth's climate changed. How many, you ask? I'll see you Iron Man's 5% and raise you 5% more. Enough to make him the most prolific killer of humans the world has ever seen. Why not number 1 all time worst, you ask? It's because we have to make allowance for the fact that, after all, these

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40:01

Know Thyself 25: The Sins of Sam Harris

The History of Being Human ·

2018/11/13

Can science tell us right from wrong? Can it serve as a foundation for morality? Sam Harris believes it can. David Hume said it can’t almost 300 years ago Note!!! This is a break from "The Worst People Ever" Series. Sam Harris is not, to my knowledge, anywhere close to one of the worst people in history. Instead, his ideas on morality, such as they are, are critiqued.

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36:31

Know Thyself 24: 4th Worst Ever -- The Necro-Nazi

The History of Being Human ·

2018/10/28

Dissolute, drunken, perverted and depraved. A man who went on "violence binges" every time he got wasted, which was all the time; and whose actions were considered beyond the pale by almost all other Nazis. Meet the 4th Worst Homo sapiens sapiens of all time, a man you might not have ever heard of, but who you will now find hard to forget. Although I do not catalog his atrocities in explicit detail (there are plenty of places you can find that) the subject matter is mature. And revolting. Cover

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38:15

Know Thyself 23: 5th Worst Ever -- The Lab Rat

The History of Being Human ·

2018/10/17

This festering bubo in the armpit of humanity was the "medical director" of the infamous Japanese Unit 731. In pursuit of the deadliest possible biological warfare agent, and with a hearty dose of sheer sadistic curiosity, he performed his experiments in the spirit of true egalitarianism: on prisoners of war; on Chinese, Soviet, Indian, British and American troops; on civilians in the surrounding countryside. On anyone he could get his hands on. Caveat Auditor: This man's deeds are so odious that

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60:41

Know Thyself 22: 6th Worst Human Ever: Iron Man

The History of Being Human ·

2018/10/11

Meet the one-man plague, the skull-stacker, the maker of incendiary camels, a man whose coffin curse is worse than any mummy because it actually panned out. In the annals of history, there have been very few people who accomplished what this man did. Too bad this genius was also an all-around dismal excuse for a human being.

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39:41

Know Thyself 21: Dr. Paul Zak on Connection, Trust,...

The History of Being Human ·

2018/10/02

We take a well-earned break from the worst people in history to speak about the factors that influence what is best in us. Dr. Paul Zak is a renowned and prolific public intellectual, author, corporate advisor, and researcher. His groundbreaking work on the role of oxytocin in sociality has been profoundly and broadly influential. In this interview we discuss the role of oxytocin in moral [read:pro-social] behavior, how it is released, and the significant life benefits that accrue from the

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50:30

Know Thyself 20: 8th and 7th Worst Ever: Darya...

The History of Being Human ·

2018/09/24

It's hard to argue with the top-ten status of these two horrors. A scorned, vindictive, spiteful, misogynistic, brutal sadist. A loving wife and devoted mother, who also happened to get aroused by killing on a world-historic level. Both with vast piles of wealth and unchecked control over their victims. Both so powerful as to be almost untouchable. Sounds like a pair of nightmares in real life. Cover Art: Oz by Ian Armstrong

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54:01

Know Thyself 19: Philosopher Todd Calder on Evil

The History of Being Human ·

2018/09/17

In this episode I speak with a philosopher of evil, Todd Calder, PhD. Although more seraphic surfer than demonic, Todd wrote the article on the concept of evil in the Stanford Internet Encyclopedia of Evil: The Concept of Evil He has also authored numerous scholarly articles and presented at conferences and symposia on the topic, and is currently working on a book-length project "The Concept of Evil." See his CV and a selected bibliography here: Todd Calder CV Todd addresses whether such a thing as

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116 results

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