Joseph Henrich

We're already a big brain primate.

We had hands.

We're living in these large groups on the savannah and the climate change during this period so as to make us –

Yeah.

And how big were these groups?

Well, I mean, nobody's really sure, but maybe a few hundred individuals.

Okay.

Yeah.

So, I mean, lots of different evidence suggests that groups were moving trade goods.

So well back in the Paleolithic, we see trade.

Often we see some genetic transmission.

Right, the expansions and so forth.

And so talking about the expansion, like that's something where the ancient DNA is useful because the Neanderthals in Europe, the DNA suggests they lived in very small groups.

But the DNA of the expanding group suggests a larger population.

So those would have been two different collective brains there as well.

Right.

So, I mean, one of the things we know, even in young children, there's a tendency to preferentially learn from healthier, more successful individuals.

And so if you're processing it better, so something like bitter cassava, which has cyanide in it, if you just eat bitter cassava, it won't taste great.

So if you then rinse it somewhat, it'll taste better, and maybe you could eat it, but you're going to accumulate cyanide over the long run, so it doesn't kill you right away.

Right.