Evolution Ep6: The Mind's Big Bang (6/6)

Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, something happened that triggered a creative, technological, and social explosion, that allowed humans to dominate the planet. What forces may have contributed to the emergence of the modern human mind?

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Evolution
• Human
• Hominid
• Brain
• Mind
• Consciousness
• Language

[Gravitationalist]

I don't think I will upload episode 7. It deals with the religious implications of evolution.

If you want to watch it, KingLoser66 has it. The video ID is AMd5KXYr29c.

[JohnDeBunkTest]

Christianity is like believing cars work by God's magic, and you only put gas in them to please God.

Evolution is like understanding how it really works.

[JohnDeBunkTest]

The mind's "big bang" was timed at the same point that we find dogs being domesticated.

This was also the point in time that man moved into Asia and met the Asian wolf, who was the ancestor to all dogs.

[LinkMarioSamus]

@Gravitationalist That episode feels more like glorified bonus material anyway.

[teluia]

Fascinating, informative. Thank you.

[bernlin2000]

@JohnDeBunkTest Excellent analogy, it's about time we just skipped a unnecessary step :-)

[Venaloid]

I love that woman with the short hair, epic office simulation!

[Velox415]

I didn't say that's all they cared about :p I'm just saying, although I can see it as a disadvantage, I certainly wouldn't walk off a cliff. Being nearsighted doesn't necessarily mean you can see better at a close distance either, just that you can't focus on things far away. I could certainly see near-sighted people staying home to protect it or make beads or what have you. By the same token, farsighted could focus on things far away and not close so they probably couldn't make beads themselves

[lytrigian]

What makes you think that's all primitive people cared about?

Nearsightedness would be a particular advantage to a specialized flint-knapper, or to someone who made beads, for instance. (Some Neolithic bead industries were very exacting.)

[Velox415]

I'm nearsighted and I certainly won't walk off a cliff XD I do, however, have trouble discerning details from further than 6 ft. So I would imagine ancient nearsighted people would have trouble discerning friend or foe at a distance or perhaps that well camouflaged predator hiding in the distance.

[Velox415]

This is great, thanks for posting! Now if only people would actually watch the series instead of randomly commenting that "evoultion is t3h devil" and "big bang is a lie because it says there was nothing and nothing exploded!" Durrr... There is another episode though, Evolution: What About God, found it at watch?v=IYr7_buPmKo and apparently all the religious are flocking to it because it says "god" and then they hear the word "evolution" and rate it 1 star.. lol.

[fredswaq67]

cheers for this

[lytrigian]

I think Pinker at 2:05 is probably wrong. A prehistoric nearsighted person would simply assume a specialized role within his social group where nearsightedness was an advantage. Who does he think was making all those beads?