Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tony Mendez on June 23, 2009 at 8:18am

I would recommend watching two documentaries that touch on this subject - The Journey of Man w/ Spencer Wells (PBS) and The Incredible Human Journey w/ Alice Roberts (BBC).

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 23, 2009 at 10:33pm

Tony,
Thanks for the recommendation. I started watching the first chapters of Spenser Well's documentary on You tube. I'll embed it here.

Permalink Reply by K. B. Powell on June 30, 2009 at 12:00pm

I've seen Well's work. It's a commendable first step. However, along the lines of this thread's theme, I would draw the attention of those who watch the film to his depiction of humanity's common male ancestor. Basically, the artistic reconstruction that Wells approved for this work is a depiction of, essentially, an aggressive-looking black man...Was that really necessary?

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 30, 2009 at 6:01pm

Thanks for the comment. To be honest, I didn't recall that image, so I'll have to re-watch to look for it. In his interaction with the San, it seemed like they were open and friendly, but that was real people instead of the artist depiction. I'll need to look for it.

Did you see the other series, with Alice Roberts? I just started, but I think her perspective was different.

Permalink Reply by K. B. Powell on June 30, 2009 at 11:36pm

No problem. A lot of times it takes a particularly sensitized eye to notice things like this. For the most part, the negative racial messages in the media are subliminally transmitted. Things like this pervade movies, magazines, and television...I started the other film, but I didn't get to finish.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 24, 2009 at 8:40am

Tony,

I watched "The Journey of Man" last night via you tube. Really interesting, well told story. Not only in discussing how everyone is related, but the evolutionary reasons for some of the differences.

It was amazing to see the photos of individuals, how each seemed to look similar to the next but with subtle changes.

"The Incredible Human Journey" looks equally interesting.

Permalink Reply by Mel on June 23, 2009 at 10:53pm

So you'll give back all the geometry, chemistry, indoor plumbing, physics, and medicine that they were storing for us while our ancestors in Europe were busy rediscovering the importance of clean water?

Permalink Reply by Mel on June 26, 2009 at 5:34pm

Huh, I was actually replying to Alex Donovan here but his post has gone...

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 26, 2009 at 6:16pm

Mel, apparently he is not on A|N now. Discussion elsewhere - off topic here.

Your comment that Arabic, and specifically Islamic Arabic, culture, was a center of education and culture while Europe was in the dark ages, is well taken. Do you think that this indicates, that the current anti-science, heavy handed theocracy, of the descendents of those cultures, is culturally driven and not genetic? That would support Nano's statement as well.

Permalink Reply by Mel on July 1, 2009 at 12:17am

From the genetics I know (only undergrad level), I think that human genetics are way too similar to each other for the genes of any sub-set to be saying anything at all about attitudes towards science, or women, or anything like that, differently from each other.
I think the attitudes you're attributing to the culture are probably the attitutes of a small but powerful minority.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 24, 2009 at 8:48am

Nano,

I'm all for shooting supremacist arguments in the ass.

Of course, there are genetic differences, among individuals as well as among larger groups. I like how this information describes how humans are a single species, and we need to think that way. But you are right that culture and society have huge impacts.