On Humans

Where do we come from? What brings us together? Why do we love? Why do we destroy? On Humans features conversations with leading scholars about human nature, human condition, and the human journey. From the origins of war to the psychology of love, each topic brings fresh insights into perennial questions about our self-understanding. Support: Patreon.com/OnHumansArticles: OnHumans.Substack.comFocus areas: Anthropology, Psychology, Archaeology, Philosophy, Big History

An Essential Difference? Males, Females, and the Spaces In Between ~ Augustín Fuentes
May 9, 2025 – 01:01:43
The Rest is History: From the Origins of Farming to the Dawn of Modernity ~ Johannes Krause
Apr 25, 2025 – 01:03:25
A Human Like No Other: The Rise of Homo Sapiens ~ Johannes Krause
Apr 16, 2025 – 01:10:09
What Is a Human? The New Science of the Genus Homo ~ Chris Stringer
Apr 9, 2025 – 01:06:17
An Unusual Ape: The Deep Origins of Our Human Oddities ~ Dean Falk
Apr 2, 2025 – 00:50:17
The Big Picture: From the Origin of Life to the Rise of Humans ~ Tim Coulson
Mar 25, 2025 – 01:04:14
Trailer | Origins of Humankind
Mar 24, 2025 – 00:02:57
What About India? Part II: Success and Stagnation In the World’s Largest Democracy ~ Bishnupriya Gupta
Feb 24, 2025 – 00:30:28
What About India? Part I: Mughals, British, and the Causes of Poverty ~ Bishnupriya Gupta
Feb 14, 2025 – 01:07:13
Why Patriarchy? Foragers, Farmers, and the Origins of Gender Inequality ~ Angarika Deb
Jan 28, 2025 – 00:54:39
Bonus | Evolution Beyond the Selfish Gene (with Eva Jablonka)
Jan 16, 2025 – 00:19:30
Bonus | The Real Lessons From The World Happiness Report (with Lara Aknin)
Jan 9, 2025 – 00:16:26
Bonus | Some Myths About Human Mating (with Katie Starkweather)
Jan 5, 2025 – 00:11:57
Encore | The Mindbending Conversation That Topped 2024 (with Donald Hoffman)
Dec 31, 2024 – 01:28:37
Live from London | Yasheng Huang on the Origins of Modern China
Dec 23, 2024 – 01:25:51
A New Theory on the Broadest Patterns of History ~ Ideen Ali Riahi
Dec 2, 2024 – 01:08:29
Is War Inevitable? Lessons from East Asia ~ David C. Kang
Nov 15, 2024 – 00:51:21
Is War Natural After All? Revisiting the Debate ~ Luke Glowacki
Nov 2, 2024 – 01:06:04
Nobel-Prize Special | Daron Acemoglu on Why We Should Celebrate Humanity
Oct 18, 2024 – 00:20:44
This Might Be The Nicest Thing About Human Nature ~ Lara Aknin
Oct 1, 2024 – 00:55:25
What About China? Part III: A Brief History of China’s Future ~ Yasheng Huang
Sep 21, 2024 – 00:30:36
What About China? Part II: Explaining the Chinese Miracle ~ Yasheng Huang
Sep 19, 2024 – 01:05:57
What About China? Part I: The Deep Currents of Chinese History ~ Yasheng Huang
Sep 2, 2024 – 01:12:59
Does It Matter Who Brings In The Meat? ~ Katie Starkweather
Aug 1, 2024 – 00:48:44
Why Agriculture? Climate Change and the Origins of Farming ~ Andrea Matranga
Jul 15, 2024 – 00:58:22
What Can Moral Dilemmas Tell Us About Ourselves? ~ Peter Railton
Jun 30, 2024 – 01:11:39
The Birth of Modern Prosperity, Part IV: Grasping Towards Equality (with Branko Milanovic)
Jun 18, 2024 – 00:36:26
The Birth of Modern Prosperity, Part III: Power to the People (with Daron Acemoglu)
Jun 12, 2024 – 00:36:09
The Birth of Modern Prosperity, Part II: Laboratories of the New Era (with Brad DeLong)
Jun 4, 2024 – 00:35:25
The Birth of Modern Prosperity, Part I: The Shape of the Story (with Oded Galor)
May 28, 2024 – 00:29:39
Mothers, Fathers, And The Many Myths We Have Held ~ Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
May 8, 2024 – 00:59:12
Did Humans Evolve In Small Groups? ~ Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Apr 16, 2024 – 00:48:21
Can We Understand Infinity? ~ Adrian Moore
Mar 25, 2024 – 01:17:31
How Did Humans Evolve? Why Did We? ~ Ian Tattersall
Mar 12, 2024 – 01:09:37
How Did Consciousness Evolve? Did It? ~ Eva Jablonka
Feb 14, 2024 – 00:55:14
Why Do We Love? ~ Arthur Aron
Feb 1, 2024 – 00:38:53
Mental Health Bonus | The Origins of ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression ~ Nikhil Chaudhary
Jan 23, 2024 – 00:14:28
Family Lessons From Hunter-Gatherers ~ Nikhil Chaudhary
Jan 15, 2024 – 01:04:59
Encore | This Conversation Touched The Most Hearts in 2023 ~ Helen Fisher
Jan 7, 2024 – 01:38:01
Could Homo Floresiensis Be Alive Today? ~ Gregory Forth
Dec 24, 2023 – 01:02:03
The Evolution of Inequality Under Capitalism ~ Branko Milanović
Dec 16, 2023 – 01:00:13
Meaning of Life Beyond Space and Time ~ Donald Hoffman
Nov 28, 2023 – 00:33:22
Could Consciousness Explain The Laws Of Physics? ~ Donald Hoffman
Nov 22, 2023 – 01:03:28
Did Men Hunt and Women Gather? ~ Cara Ocobock
Nov 9, 2023 – 01:28:36
A Natural History of Equality ~ Sarah Brosnan
Oct 18, 2023 – 01:10:14
Is the Human Brain Special? ~ Suzana Herculano-Houzel
Oct 3, 2023 – 01:10:53
Encore | How Love Synchronises Our Brains ~ Ruth Feldman
Sep 18, 2023 – 00:40:22
Do Machines Improve the Human Condition? ~ Daron Acemoglu
Sep 10, 2023 – 00:48:28
Encore | Is War Natural For Humans? ~ Douglas P. Fry
Aug 25, 2023 – 01:15:19
What Can Chimpanzees Tell Us About War and Peace? ~ Brian Ferguson
Aug 19, 2023 – 01:16:30

Recent Reviews

J Hession

Excellent Podcast

This show is a new find for me and already feels essential. The interviews are incredibly good, with thoughtful questions that show a deep level of understanding and research on the part of the host. The guests and topics are deeply interesting and thought provoking.
HelloYip

Thoughtful and eye opening conversations...

With amazing people from different areas. Strongly advised to expand your horizon!
SunshineAndSand

I love it!

Fantastical and thoughtful. I have found each episode to be profound and thought provoking in its own way. Truly influencing my perspective as how to approach and navigate the vagaries of life.