The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease
The human body has undergone numerous changes over millions of years—we’ve moved onto two feet, away from a fruit-based diet, into superlative athletic abilities, and with very large brains. Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman argues that while all this evolution brings benefits such as greater longevity, it has also created conditions our bodies still can’t handle like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Lieberman proposes that many of these chronic illnesses persist and in some cases are intensifying because of “dysevolution,” a dynamic where only the symptoms, rather than the causes of these maladies are treated.
Speaker Details
Daniel E. Lieberman is professor of human evolutionary biology and the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences at Harvard. He has written more than one hundred articles, many appearing in the journals Nature and Science. Lieberman is especially well known for his research on the evolution of the human head and the evolution of running, including barefoot running (earning him the nickname the Barefoot Professor). His research and discoveries have been highlighted widely in newspapers, magazines, books, news programs, and documentaries. See a video clip of Dr. Lieberman on the Colbert Report.
- Date:
- Speakers:
- Daniel Lieberman
- Affiliation:
- Harvard University
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Jeff Running
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