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SUMMARY:SuperGenes: What Really Makes Us Human - Prof. Craig Mackay
DTSTART:20100303T210000Z
DTEND:20100303T220000Z
UID:TALK23606@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jonathan Marten
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Craig Mackay\n\n3rd March\, 9pm for 9:15 start\nNihon Ro
 om\nWine and nibbles\nFree for members\, £1 non-members\n\n\nHumans have 
 been on this planet for only about 20 millionths of its age and yet we hav
 e evolved with incredible and increasing rapidity to completely dominate t
 he planet in so many ways. Darwinian\, biological evolution happens on ver
 y long timescales so something else must be happening. The key is undoubte
 dly human behaviour and the way this is inextricably linked with our evolu
 tion. In this talk I will look at some of the problems thrown up by recent
  research in biochemistry\, social psychology and other fields to try and 
 give some insight into what it is that motivates each and every one of us 
 throughout our lives.\n\nIn particular I shall discuss why the most popula
 r models of behaviour are now struggling in the face of the latest work on
  DNA and inheritance. I will also look at the way we greatly exaggerate th
 e importance of the individual and underemphasise the importance of societ
 y in determining the way that we behave. Together they give clues about th
 e underlying drivers\nof human behaviour that are already well understood 
 by churches and by the advertising industry.\n\n\nDr Craig Mackay is Profe
 ssor of Image Science in the Institute of Astronomy\, and a fellow of Corp
 us Christi. He may be an astronomer\, but he has a passion for understandi
 ng why we are human\, which gives him a unique perspective in this field. 
 His talk promises to be enlightening and will offer a new insight into wha
 t does make us human.\n
LOCATION:Nihon Room\, Pembroke College
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