RSA lectures. Steve Jones : the literary ape

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Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College London, reflects on the Literary Darwinist question: how much are we chimps and do we write books about it? In an attempt to answer this que...

Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College London, reflects on the Literary Darwinist question: how much are we chimps and do we write books about it? In an attempt to answer this question, Steve Jones argues, in this public RSA lecture held at the University of East Anglia, that literary theorists often misunderstand what evolution can and can't tell us about ourselves.He highlights the problem caused by the uniqueness of humans combined with the fact that evolution is a comparative science: What do we have to compare our uniquely human literary talents with? So are we chimps and do we write books about it? Who knows, because who can we ask?In a heated discussion afterwards, our teachers draw on Steve's ideas and reflect on what it all may mean for education and teaching, covering topics like: the links between English and Science; storytelling; the feminisation of education; and the lack of cross curricularity in schools today.

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