The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

We humans are a puzzling species.  No other animal comes close to our capacity for violently harming each other; yet at the same time, no other comes close to our capacity for cooperation, altruism, or compassion.  Most challengingly, the same motoric behavior can count as appalling or noble, depending on the context.  This lecture considers the biology of our context-dependent best and worst behaviors.  Crucially, true understanding requires a multi-disciplinary approach, as one must consider everything from neurobiological events over the course of seconds to evolutionary ones over the course of millions of years.

Speaker: Robert Sapolsky, Stanford