logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
1h 31m

How Religion Evolved with Robin Dunbar

HeadGum
About this episode
Instead of debunking religious beliefs, what if we investigated where religion comes from, and why it’s virtually universal across human cultures? Anthropologist and “How Religion Evolved And Why It Endures” author Robin Dunbar joins Adam to discuss the origins of religion. He describes how touch, laughter, and song bonded people together, and the social rol ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
End Times Fascism with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor
Fascism has a different face in 2026. Not only are we facing very real existential threats in the form of climate change and AI, the millenarians who once sat on the fringes of society now wield the most power. Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor join me today to unpack our current era ... Show More
1h 18m
Sep 9
Why AI Can’t Replace You with Cory Doctorow
We've been told AI is supposed to be a tool for us to use. But more and more it feels like we're the ones being used to feed the machines, before they inevitably replace us. Joining me today is author and journalist Cory Doctorow, whose new book The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Lif ... Show More
1h 21m
Sep 2
Is The Video Game Industry Collapsing?
The gaming industry's old model is falling apart. RAM costs are skyrocketing, making new consoles scarce and unaffordable. The industry is beset by layoffs and studio closures, and indie developers aren't doing much better. Will there be anything left for young gamers beyond Fort ... Show More
1h 39m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Belief, Habit & Religion
For evolutionary scientists studying religion, it's more fruitful to examine what people do in religious contexts, rather than listen to what they say they believe. There's a new recognition that as well as looking at behaviour, people studying religion must take account of the r ... Show More
44m 44s
May 2019
Creating God
<p>If you've taken part in a religious service, have you ever stopped to think about how it all came to be? How did people become believers? Where did the rituals come from? And what purpose does it all serve? This week, we bring you a July 2018 episode with social psychologist A ... Show More
51m 14s
Jul 2018
Creating God
<p>If you've taken part in a religious service, have you ever stopped to think about how it all came to be? How did people become believers? Where did the rituals come from? And most of all, what purpose does it all serve? This week, we explore these questions with psychologist A ... Show More
51m 14s
Sep 2022
The Evolutionary Psychology Of Love - Robin Dunbar - #520
Robin Dunbar is an anthropologist, evolutionary psychologist, head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group at the University of Oxford and an author. Love is something that people have been trying to describe for thousands of years. Beyond asking what love is, ... Show More
1h 36m
Feb 2021
Creating God
<p>If you've taken part in a religious service, have you ever stopped to think about how people become believers? Where do the rituals come from? And what purpose does it all serve? This week, we bring you a 2018 episode with social psychologist <a href="https://psych.ubc.ca/prof ... Show More
51m 56s
Apr 2019
The History of God and Spirituality with Reza Aslan
On the first episode of Back to School with Maz Jobrani, religious studies scholar and author Reza Aslan stops by to chat about his new book, God: A Human History. We talk with our expert about the God, the evolution of spirituality, and why Persians invented morality. Let's go B ... Show More
56m 43s
Jul 2011
Gimme That Old Time Space Religion
<p>Space Religion: Will humans leave religion behind when they become an interplanetary species? Not hardly. Join Robert and Julie as they discuss how belief systems may change as a result of space exploration, on off-world colonization or extraterrestrial contact.</p><p> </p> Le ... Show More
39 m
Oct 2022
Reza Aslan (scholar of sociology of religion)
Reza Aslan is an author and expert on world religions. Reza joins the Armchair Expert to discuss where the idea of Christianity came from, the history of religious conversion in Iran and Persia, and what part religion plays in global conflicts. Reza and Dax talk about whether or ... Show More
2h 10m
Apr 2024
The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Gods
Robin Ince and Brian Cox tackle the thorny debate over whether science and religion can co-exist. But forget the tension between the church and the researchers – Eric Idle wants an answer to the important question of whether God is in gluten free communion bread? Katy Brand launc ... Show More
22m 24s
Apr 2020
Philematology (KISSING) with Robin Dunbar
<p>Why do we kiss? What makes a good kiss or a bad kiss? How many microbes do we exchange? Is it good for us? One of the world’s most accomplished researchers on kissing, social behavior and relationships, Dr . Robin Dunar of Oxford University reluctantly agrees to be interviewed ... Show More
1h 6m