# Not So Simple After All? Apes, Einstein, and the Many Mysteries of the Human Brain ~ Dean Falk

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-humans-5714769/not-so-simple-after-all-apes-einstein-and-the-many-mysteries-of-the-human-brain-dean-falk
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-humans-5714769/not-so-simple-after-all-apes-einstein-and-the-many-mysteries-of-the-human-brain-dean-falk.md
Podcast: [On Humans](https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-humans-5714769)
Published: 2025-09-03T13:40:55+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ilari-makela/episodes/Not-So-Simple-After-All--Apes--Einstein--and-the-Many-Mysteries-of-the-Human-Brain--Dean-Falk-e37mlhp
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/b6269808/podcast/play/107746297/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-8-3%2F24b43131-9fd8-7ad9-3f79-d9b1928243c8.m4a
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/on-humans-5714769/episodes/not-so-simple-after-all-apes-einstein-and-the-many-mysteries-of-the-human-brain-dean-falk
Duration seconds: 1842

## Resource

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

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/on-humans-5714769/episodes/not-so-simple-after-all-apes-einstein-and-the-many-mysteries-of-the-human-brain-dean-falk/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/on-humans-5714769/not-so-simple-after-all-apes-einstein-and-the-many-mysteries-of-the-human-brain-dean-falk.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.