Episode
Not So Simple After All? Apes, Einstein, and the Many Mysteries of the Human Brain ~ Dean Falk
- Podcast
- On Humans
- Published
- Sep 3, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1842
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Summary
Here is a simple story about the origins of the human brain: All primate brains are dense with neurons—they are the supercomputers of the animal world. What's more, the human brain is just what you’d expect from a primate of our size: big, packed with neurons, but no more special than that. It's the chimps and gorillas who are special: without cooked food, their brains lacked the fuel to keep up with the growing body. Or so argued Suzana Herculano-Houzel, my guest in last week's episode. In today's episode, paleo-neurologist Dean Falk explains why she thinks this is only part of the story. I'll let her tell you why. Enjoy! DIG DEEPER This episode is part 2 of this autumn's brain science series. See more at OnHumans.Substack.com/Brain See also last spring's episode with Dean Falk on toolmaking and childhoods, as part of the Origins of Humankind -series. SUPPORT THE SHOW OnHumans.Patreon.com MENTIONS AND KEYWORDS Scholars Charles Darwin | Dietrich Stout | Robin Dunbar | Katarina Semenderfi | Weiwei Men | Joseph Ledoux | Jane Goodall Technical terms Endocasts | Sulci and gyri | Broca's area | Brodmann Area 10, also known as BA10 and the frontal pole | Acheulean hand axe technology Keywords Brain science | Neuroscience | Neurology | Paleoneurology | Evolutionary Anthropology | Comparative Anatomy | Cognitive Archaeology | Origins of Consciousness