The changing story of human evolution
Our podcast on science and technology. This week, we trace the evolutionary journey that created Homo sapiens, and explore how new technology is revealing the complexity of our origins
THE EVOLUTIONARY journey that created modern humans was once thought to be relatively linear. But new technology is revealing a far more complex picture. The Economist’s Dylan Barry travels to South Africa to trace the story of our evolution, and explains how interbreeding with other species provided the genes possessed by many people today. To uncover our origins, scientists are nowadays not only hunting for clues in the bones of our ancestors—but in the genomes of living people, too. We speak to the researchers who are helping to rewrite the human story. Alok Jha hosts. Runtime: 40 min
For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience.
More from Podcasts
The Intelligence
President Raisi’s death puts a fork in the road to Iran’s future
Also on the daily podcast: rising tensions around China’s spycraft in Britain and for young folk TikTok is the new LinkedIn
26:18
Editor’s Picks
Why a murder trial in Kazakhstan has reverberated widely
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
3:40