logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
17m 57s

A new understanding of human history and...

TED
About this episode

What if the commonly accepted narratives about the foundation of civilization are all wrong? Drawing on groundbreaking research, archaeologist David Wengrow challenges traditional thinking about the social evolution of humanity -- from the invention of agriculture to the formation of cities and class systems -- and explains how rethinking history can radically change our perspective on inequality and modern life.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
How AI is unearthing hidden scientific knowledge | Sara Beery
<p>Scientists estimate that 80 percent of life on Earth is still unknown to humanity. But as global temperatures rise, habitats shrink and food and water sources dry up, we're losing these species faster than we can discover them. AI naturalist Sara Beery reveals how the knowledg ... Show More
14m 21s
Yesterday
How the fridge changed food | Nicola Twilley
<p>What if your kitchen fridge is just the tip of an iceberg that's reshaping the world? Food storyteller Nicola Twilley reveals how the massive “artificial Arctic” we built to keep our food fresh is simultaneously melting the real one. She shows why we're at a critical moment to ... Show More
13m 27s
Nov 23
Sunday Pick: How to love your hometown (w/ Hanif Abdurraqib & Sarah Kay) | How to Be a Better Human
<p>Loving where you live means caring for the people who make that place home, says cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. He invites poet Sarah Kay and Chris Duffy, host of the podcast “How to Be a Better Human,” to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to show off what makes it so special ... Show More
15m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
237. David Wengrow on The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
For generations, our remote ancestors have been cast as primitive and childlike — either free and equal innocents, or thuggish and warlike. Civilization, we are told, could be achieved only by sacrificing those original freedoms or, alternatively, by taming our baser instincts. D ... Show More
1h 33m
Dec 2021
DAWN OF EVERYTHING: The True History of Humanity
What if everything we think we know about the history of our species is wrong? That’s the provocative question at the heart of a new book by today’s guest, David Wengrow. Hailed as fascinating, brilliant, and potentially revolutionary, “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Hu ... Show More
1h 20m
Jun 2024
أرض العراقة وامتداد التاريخ
حلقة جديدة من #بودكاست_١٩٤٩، تأخذنا إلى عُمق التاريخ لاستكشاف أصول الحضارات القديمة التي ازدهرت على أرض المملكة، لتُجيب على التساؤل الأبرز: بمَ تفيدنا معرفة التاريخ ودراسة الآثار؟ وما دورها في بناء المستقبل؟    
25m 17s
Oct 2023
#68 — Reality and the Imagination
Sam Harris speaks with Yuval Noah Harari about meditation, the need for stories, the power of technology to erase the boundary between fact and fiction, wealth inequality, the problem of finding meaning in a world without work, religion as a virtual reality game, the difference b ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 2023
#68 — Reality and the Imagination
Sam Harris speaks with Yuval Noah Harari about meditation, the need for stories, the power of technology to erase the boundary between fact and fiction, wealth inequality, the problem of finding meaning in a world without work, religion as a virtual reality game, the difference b ... Show More
38m 47s
Feb 2020
Episode #105- Is the Renaissance a Myth? (Part I)
The Renaissance has been touted as one of the most important moments in European history. 19th century historians like Jules Michelet and Jakob Burckhardt made the case that a "rebirth" starting in the 1300's laid the ground work for the modern world. This idea has been massively ... Show More
56m 11s
Jun 2023
When We Kill History
There's a growing culture war over history with efforts throughout western nations to revert to "virtuous origin" stories. IDEAS explores what happens when we sanitize history and remove criticism and doubt from the myth. If we kill history, how can we look to the future? 
54m 8s
Sep 2021
The Origins of Civilisation
<p>The world is constantly changing, and so has the perception of civilisation, but what exactly are the origins of&nbsp;this concept? Helping us answer this question from an anthropological and archaeological perspective, Professor Nam Kim joins Tristan once again on The Ancient ... Show More
58m 42s
Jan 2024
How Free Time Transformed From Strolls Through Aristocratic Gardens to Doomscrolling on TikTok
Free time, one of life’s most important commodities, often feels unfulfilling. But why? And how did leisure activities transition from strolling in the park for hours to “doomscrolling” on social media for thirty minutes?<br><br>Despite the promise of modern industrialization, ma ... Show More
31m 29s