Our species is facing an unprecedented set of challenges, including global climate change, exponential population growth, and emerging diseases. Examining these and other challenges using the lens of evolution is necessary to understand why we confront them. Evolutionary perspectives can help guide us in building a better, safer and more survivable future.
On September 22, 2016, The Leakey Foundation presented Survival, a symposium that brought together seven world-renowned speakers and researchers for an inspiring evening of short talks moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist Miles O’Brien. Watch and share these videos featuring Ruth DeFries, Daniel Lieberman, Stuart Pimm, Steven Pinker, Pardis Sabeti, Daniel Schrag and Richard Wrangham.
The Survival Symposium – 2016
Session One
Session Two
Panel Discussion
Featured Presentations
Introduction with Miles O’Brien
Biodiversity and Extinction | Stuart Pimm
Evolution of an Urban Animal | Ruth DeFries
Climate Change | Daniel Schrag
Evolution in Humans and Pathogens | Pardis Sabeti
The Human Diet | Richard Wrangham
The Exercise Dilemma | Daniel Lieberman
Past, Present, and Future of Violence | Steven Pinker
About Our Speakers
Moderated by Miles O’Brien and featuring:
- Ruth DeFries – Professor of Sustainable Development, Columbia University
- Daniel Lieberman – Chair and Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
- Stuart Pimm – Professor of Conservation Ecology, Duke University
- Steven Pinker – Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
- Pardis Sabeti – Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
- Daniel Schrag – Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard University
- Richard Wrangham – Professor of Biological Anthropology, Harvard University
Partners
Survival is presented by The Leakey Foundation in partnership with Harvard University’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, NOVA, NOVALabs, SMASH, and WGBH.