BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Teenagers: A Natural History - Dr. David Bainbridge
DTSTART:20090211T210000Z
DTEND:20090211T220000Z
UID:TALK15530@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mr. Andrew Norman
DESCRIPTION:It is time to change the way we think about teenagers. Far fro
 m their usual media image\, they are not society's scourge - instead they 
 are the pinnacle of human achievement.\nDavid Bainbridge\, the University 
 Clinical Veterinary Anatomist\, is the first author to take a 'zoological'
  view of where teenagers came from and what they are for. Recent discoveri
 es have now shown that teenagers are a unique human innovation\, and that\
 , remarkably\, they are also the key to the unique success of the entire h
 uman race. We now know how and why the second decade of human life has bec
 ome imbued with a heady mix of physical\, mental\, addictive\, emotional a
 nd sexual change. Teenage biology and behaviour\, often viewed as an unpre
 dictable\, idiosyncratic\, disturbing mess\, now snap into focus as a beau
 tifully choreographed sequence of interwoven steps along the journey to be
 coming the most complex creature on earth.\n\nBecause of its pivotal role 
 in the human experience\, adolescence brings with it the most intense phys
 ical\, emotional and amorous experiences of our lives. Because of this\, e
 volutionary inheritance can make some people's adolescence a joy they will
  treasure forever\, while for others it marks the start of a decline into 
 failure\, insecurity\, mental illness and suicide.\nWe now know that the t
 eenage years are not just an uncomfortable transition between innocent chi
 ldhood and mature adulthood. Instead\, adolescence - the central moment wh
 en all strands of our life collide - evolved for a very good reason. It is
  the single experience that makes us truly human. 
LOCATION:N7\, Pembroke College
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR