Originally Human

Nickilina Herrmann

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Parenting

Many parts of contemporary life ask us to live against older human needs: parenting without a village, eating industrial food, sitting still, sleeping poorly, and trying to belong in thin communities. Originally Human brings anthropologists, researchers, writers, doctors, and cultural thinkers into conversation about the modern mismatch — without romanticizing the past or prescribing one “natural” way to live.

Oct 16

The Evolved Apprentice: Kim Sterelny on How Cooperation Made Us Human

What makes humans so good at learning from one another? And how did cooperation, childhood and culture shape our evolution? In this episode of Originally Human, I speak with philosopher of science and evolutionary theorist Professor Kim Sterelny about how humans became such extraordinary learners — and what our evolutionary history might teach us about childhood and education today. Professor Sterelny argues that human uniqueness cannot be explained by a single breakthrough in brainpower. Instead, our abilities emerged through feedback loops between cooperation, social learning, technology and the environments in which children grow up. We explore how early humans learned to cooperate to find food and stay safe, why sharing knowledge became advantageous, and how generations of learners built on one another’s discoveries. Sterelny also challenges the idea that human intelligence evolved mainly to outsmart and manipulate others: solving the practical problems of surviving together was an enormous cognitive challenge in its own right. We discuss how children in foraging societies often learn through mixed-age groups, experimentation, play and observing others — with considerable freedom to direct their own learning. How does this compare with modern Western schooling? Could children benefit from more autonomy, collaboration and opportunities to learn across age groups? We also explore why giving children more freedom is difficult when they have no group of other children to explore with, how cooperation creates time and space for innovation, and what the relationship between biology and culture tells us about human adaptability. In this episode: How cooperation and social learning helped make us humanWhy our evolutionary success depends on learning environments, not just brainsHow children learn in foraging societiesWhat modern education might learn from mixed-age, self-directed childhoodsWhy cumulative culture involves experimentation and trial and error, not just imitationHow cooperation and innovation reinforce one anotherWhy human intelligence may owe more to solving shared practical problems than to outsmarting rivalsThe limits of what we know about human adaptabilityProfessor Sterelny's challenge for listeners? Try making a stone tool. It’s a humbling way to appreciate the extraordinary knowledge and skill required to survive as a forager. Resources mentioned Kim Sterelny’s newest book: Evolution and Human Uniqueness (Oxford University Press, 2026)The Evolved Apprentice: How Evolution Made Humans UniqueThe Pleistocene Social Contract: Culture and Cooperation in Human EvolutionGoogle Scholar — recommended for finding Professor Sterelny's academic papers.John Bock, “Learning, Life History, and Productivity: Children’s Lives in the Okavango Delta of Botswana” — research relevant to the discussion of children learning foraging skills.
Sep 4

How to Be Human: Agustín Fuentes on Imagination, Community & Our Evolutionary Past

What does it actually mean to be human — and what can our evolutionary past teach us about how to live better today? In this episode of Originally Human, I’m joined by anthropologist and author Agustín Fuentes for a wide-ranging conversation about what makes our species unusual, and what we might be getting wrong about human nature. We talk about why studying other primates can teach us so much about ourselves, how biology and culture are constantly shaping one another, and why humans may be less remarkable for being “intelligent” than for our extraordinary capacity to imagine possibilities and come together to make them real. Agustín also challenges one of the assumptions at the heart of much ancestral-living thinking: that there is a single “natural” way for humans to live. Instead, he argues that our evolutionary history reveals something much more interesting — that there are many successful ways to be human. We explore what that means for parenting, creativity, play, community, food, and even the way we use technology. We talk about why human children need many caregivers, why free play matters, what we may be losing when we outsource our thinking to AI, and why knowing your neighbours might change the way you experience the world. We end with a question that feels particularly important right now: after studying humans and our ancestors for decades, what gives Agustín hope about our species? Professor Agustín Fuentes' work explores human evolution, primate behaviour, creativity, cooperation, culture, belief, and the complex relationship between biology and the worlds humans create. This conversation is ultimately a reminder that being human has never been about following one perfect blueprint. It has always been about imagining possibilities, adapting, and — perhaps most importantly — doing it together. Resources: Agustín's website The Creative Spark Why We Believe Some of Agustín's work on Big Think/The Well: I put a camera on a monkey. Here's how it shook my understanding of humanity Why belief is the most powerful disruptor Can you separate science from the scientist? We need a new measure of evolutionary success. Here's why. Other books mentioned in this conversation: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky I Love Learning; I Hate School by Susan D. Blum
Aug 17

What If We’re Making Parenting Harder Than It Needs to Be? | Michaeleen Doucleff

Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD, is a science journalist and author of Hunt, Gather, Parent. After struggling with some of the challenges of modern parenting herself, she travelled with her young daughter to Mexico, the Arctic, and Tanzania to learn from Maya, Inuit, and Hadzabe families about how they raise cooperative, confident and emotionally resilient children. In our conversation, we explore what these different approaches reveal about children, parents and the environments humans may be better adapted to - and what, if anything, modern Western families can take from them. We talk about cooperation over control, why children seem to want to contribute, emotional regulation, autonomy, chores, boredom, community, and the surprising possibility that doing less as a parent might sometimes give you more of your life back. You can learn more about Michaeleen on her website: michaeleendoucleff.com
Jul 19

Pillow Fights, Free Play & the Evolved Nest: Darcia Narvaez on Raising Human Beings

What if some of the things children need most are also some of the things modern life makes hardest to provide? In this episode of Originally Human, I talk to psychologist and researcher Darcia Narvaez about the Evolved Nest — her framework for understanding the developmental environment human children evolved to grow up in. We explore what responsive caregiving, touch, play, nature, multiple caregivers and strong social connection might mean for children today — and what happens when those needs collide with modern family life, childcare and schooling. In this episode, we talk about: The Evolved Nest — the developmental system Darcia believes humans evolved with, including responsive care, affectionate touch, play, nature, multiple nurturers and a welcoming social environment.Why play matters — including pillow fights, rough-and-tumble play and letting children take the lead as ways of supporting agency and connection.More than one caregiver — why children may benefit from relationships with grandparents, siblings, other children and trusted adults.Touch, closeness & sleep — including breastfeeding, night feeding, physical contact and the idea of babies experiencing an “external womb.”Boys and development — Darcia's perspective on why boys may need particularly strong nurturing, play and responsiveness.Mixed-age childhoods & freedom — what modern age-segregated childhoods may miss, and why autonomy and unsupervised play matter.Childcare and school — how Darcia thinks about daycare, Montessori, Waldorf and forest-school environments.The Triune Ethics framework — how early experiences may shape our orientation toward self-protection, social engagement and communal life.The kinship worldview — what Indigenous perspectives on interconnectedness and responsibility can teach us about human flourishing.A simple thing to try Darcia suggests starting with play. Let your child take charge, have a pillow fight, act out something difficult through play, or simply make space for spontaneous silliness and joy. She also recommends simple practices around nature connection, self-calming and independent play. A note on the science Some of the ideas discussed — particularly around breastfeeding, sleep, sex differences, childcare and developmental needs — represent Darcia's interpretation and theoretical framework. They are not all settled scientific consensus. Learn more Darcia Narvaez: University of Notre Dame Evolved Nest Nested World Nesting Ambassador program Eco-Attachment Dance Books & resources mentioned Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality — Darcia NarvaezRestoring the Kinship Worldview — Darcia Narvaez et al.Free-Range Kids — Lenore SkenazyThe War on Kids — documentaryThe Healing Wisdom of Africa — Malidoma Patrice Somé
Jul 5

Why It Takes a Village: Ruth Mace on Evolution, Family, and Modern Parenting

What happens when we look at modern family life through the lens of evolutionary anthropology? In this episode of Originally Human, I’m joined by Professor Ruth Mace, an evolutionary anthropologist whose work explores human behaviour, family systems, reproduction and cooperation. Ruth began her career studying animal behaviour and behavioural ecology before turning to humans. Much of her research asks a fascinating question: can evolutionary models help us understand why people make the decisions they do about family, children and social life? And, importantly, what happens when the predictions of those models don't fit modern human behaviour? In this episode, we explore:Why humans need help raising children — Ruth explains the importance of alloparenting: care provided by people other than the child's mother.The role of grandparents — including the evolutionary puzzle of menopause and the evidence that grandparents can improve children's survival, nutrition and wellbeing.Why the grandmother hypothesis isn't quite as simple as it sounds — and why Ruth thinks the evidence is compelling but still comes with important caveats.Why humans cooperate — from childcare and food sharing to reputation, reciprocity and helping within communities.Why there isn't one “natural” way to live — evolutionary anthropology is often misunderstood as telling us what humans should do. Ruth explains why evolutionary models are really about predicting variation and testing hypotheses.The evolutionary puzzle of modern fertility — why fertility has fallen so dramatically, and why resources, education, relationships and the rising costs of parenthood may all be part of the story.Has modern parenting become too intensive? Ruth discusses increasing competition around education and parenting, and whether we may sometimes be investing more in children than is actually necessary.Children and independence — why giving children opportunities to explore, socialise and make their own mistakes may matter.Intergenerational social life — what might be lost when adults and children increasingly live, learn and socialise separately.Modern life and evolutionary mismatch — including the ways education, careers, mobility and nuclear-family living have changed the social environment in which we raise children.Why evolution doesn't give us a parenting manual — and why Ruth is cautious about making moral recommendations based on evolutionary arguments.About Ruth MaceProfessor Ruth Mace is an evolutionary anthropologist whose research focuses on human behavioural ecology, demography, reproduction, family systems and cooperation. She has conducted extensive field research, including among pastoralist communities in Kenya, and is Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at University College London. Ruth is also currently writing a book exploring these themes — so watch this space! Further readingRuth mentions the work of evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, including: Mothers and OthersFather TimeYou can also find more about Ruth and her research through her academic website.

5 Episodes

Many parts of contemporary life ask us to live against older human needs: parenting without a village, eating industrial food, sitting still, sleeping poorly, and trying to belong in thin communities. Originally Human brings anthropologists, researchers, writers, doctors, and cultural thinkers into conversation about the modern mismatch — without romanticizing the past or prescribing one “natural” way to live.

Creator

Nickilina Herrmann
Years Active

2026
Episodes

5
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Nickilina Herrmann
Show Website

Originally Human