The Infinite Monkey Cage

The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Being Human


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Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider the quirks that make human beings unique and check in with experts from The Infinite Monkey Cage back catalogue. Prof Alice Roberts explains that our ancestors interbred with Neanderthals to make us who we are today. We’re also excellent at communicating with other species, as comedian Bill Bailey learns when he gets a lesson in chimp speak from the legendary primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. Then there are the bits of us that are pretty different, like our large brains and Conan O’Brien says his has been wired for comedy. Everyone agrees natural selection hasn’t always equipped us with the best tools for the job and David Baddiel argues the eye is a perfect example of a human design flaw.

Episodes featured:

The Infinite Monkey Cage 100
Series 22: When the Monkeys met the Chimps
Series 22: The Human Brain
Series 19: Are Humans Still Evolving?

New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3Jzy

Producer: Marijke Peters

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

...more
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The Infinite Monkey CageBy BBC Radio 4

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