With the re-launch of Anth 207x (Introduction to Human Evolution) just 10 days away, I wanted to highlight some of the reasons you should consider enrolling in the course. Each day between now and May 6th, the start date for the course, I will highlight one reason to take 207x. Without further ado…
Reason #10 – Origin stories are captivating. Scientific origin stories can be unifying.
My father is currently in the midst of what seems to be some kind of right of passage for a certain kind of recently retired person. He is investigating our family lineage. Where did we—and in this case, the broad ancestral web of kin that represent “we”—come from? What stories are part of our past? He has tried to convince me that at some point in that ever expanding web we cross paths with the original governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a Moroccan pirate with five or six wives. I am skeptical. But my dad is fascinated. In 30+ years maybe I will be, too.
Nearly every cultural tradition has an origin story or myth as part of its heritage. In cultures of faith, such stories are often foundational, connecting the realities of the present to a divine and infinite past. Browse across cultures and many of these stories are fascinating, incorporating elements of human nature with supernatural events. In some faiths, humans are created from mud, in others, from water. The supernatural aspects of these stories require faith. Were I to believe, for example, that the heavens and earth and all things in it were created in seven days would be to suspend my understanding of how the world around me works. It would, in other words, require faith. No observation I could make could prove or support the story. Indeed, were I to depend on such an observation I would be leaving the world of “faith” behind. As such, origin stories of this kind are inherently personal. If I believe one thing and my neighbor believes another, there is no guarantee anything can bridge this gap in belief between us. Certainly, many cultures of faith find overlap in the principals they espouse or the practices they perform, creating ecumenical structures. But faith does not guarantee such outcomes.
Part of humanity’s shared evolutionary past, coming out of the ground….
Human evolution is the story of where all of us, the entire human species, comes from. And unlike stories of faith, our evolutionary history is not grounded in belief. It is grounded in observation. It comes from our understanding of the principles which govern biological change through time and our knowledge of specific fossils drawn from the past. While science typically falls short of this goal, in theory, science seeks to create an understanding the brings people together in a mutual interpretation of shared observations. Science bridges. Human evolution is story of our past that we all share in common.
I will have additional updates each day between now and May 6, when the course goes live.
