The human penchant for storytelling is universal, early developing, and profoundly culture-shaping. Stories (folk tales, narratives, and myths) influence the costs of social transactions and organize societies at every scale of human interaction. Story as a mode of communication is also unprecedented in the animal kingdom: although we are compelled to tell stories about other animals, they are not likewise compelled to tell stories about us (or anything else, for that matter). Even scientists who attempt to objectively understand human origins are destined to craft those explanations as stories, often with narrative and/or mythic overtones. From the domestication of fire to the emergence of cooperative hunting to the evolutionary origins of human cognition, our understanding of the human journey is deeply influenced by stories embedded in our cultural histories. Even our ability to manage urgent human problems such as global health and climate change are affected by the stories and myths humans choose to tell. This symposium explores several stories about how the evolution of story-telling shaped, and continues to shape, the human epoch.
For updates regarding the live webcast of the in-person symposium on FRIDAY, May 19, 2023, follow CARTA’s Twitter (@CARTAUCSD), Facebook (@ucsdcarta), and LinkedIn accounts and/or visit the event page: carta.anthropogeny.org For more information, please email: or .
Admission/Cost: FREE Please Register
Location:
The Salk Institute
10010 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
Friday, May 19 - 1:00 PM