Jared Diamond - What can we learn from traditional societies?

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jared Diamond takes you on an epic journey into our rapidly receding past, opening a window on tribal societies and how they can provide unique, often overlooked insights into human nature.

This Ri event, titled "The world until yesterday', took place on 1 October 2013.

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[LeeJamison]

Diamond's greatest contribution here may be demystifying traditional societies.  they are neither bastions of brilliance nor repositories of something less than human.  He does not approach them seeking to confirm some set of biases, but as a means of pulling the curtain back on what connects us as humans.  Like those thousands of languages the opportunity to see this aspect of human culture and intelligence at work is fading fast.  We need more researchers like Diamond looking at this world.

[TheRoyalInstitution]

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jared Diamond takes you on an epic journey into our rapidly receding past. In this Ri event Diamond reveals how tribal societies offer an extraordinary window into how our ancestors lived for millions of years and how they can provide unique, often overlooked insights into human nature.

Jared Diamond - What can we learn from traditional societies?

[jeremymahrer]

I first heard of Jared Diamond in New Scientist, where i read the review of his book;whats so nice is see how gentle kind and thoughtful he is. I truly agree with Jared that people are `victims`to their use of modern media tools to such an extent that face to face interactions are proving quite problematic.He said tapping away on his computer!!! 

[petmensan]

He has such strong opinions on economics, but he didn't mention ever studying it. What a great demonstration of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Thank you Dr. Diamond.

[smallstudiodesign]

I love his breakdown of child care in traditional societies vs the modern micromanaging of helicopter parents.

[GroovismOrg]

We need to educate our students to find their Flow!!! Be with The One Groove & entrain Earth!!

[MrKattcole]

my first time engaging in a interview with Mr Diamond

[davidwilkie]

Read the book, the prominent feature is the application of human intelligence, fast and focused for NG people, slow and complicated for outside observers with multiple examples of similar situations to compare. It's a demonstration of what Actual Intelligence operating in a global culture means, and why machine intelligence, systematic cataloging sped up, is inevitable.

[kharyrobertson]

I love the whole framework for how he looks at the difference in society in relation to the material circumstances they exist in. It would be interesting as a biologist to do the same thing with human physiology in relation to evolution.

[wscaglia]

Interesting Interview and Great Insights. Thanks!
However, when it comes to Risk Management, I must point out that Mr. Jared Ignores a basic and very important aspect about Risk and Human capabilities.
Certain tasks or Activities that don't require a huge data processing nor skills from our brains ( or even those that DO ) can be mastered by human beings and thus that very task becomes an automatic response from your unconscious . Now, that being said, simple tasks such as cooking, taking shower,  brush your teeth whatever, as soon as an human mastered it, we don't tend to rollback and unlearn this acquired skill, but rather improve it along the way. Given the fact that you have done so many times and achieved its success. That don't likely represent a Risk but Watch-list that you brain carries along all together. That don't hurt, that don't weight, that ALLOW us to focus on more pressured matters, such as Terrorism, Global Warming or Inequality. Therefore, the idea that daily-risks are the real risk is rather an fallacy and your brain efforts should be driven by greater and higher complex problems.

[Guitcad]

If I heard a character in a movie talking like him I'd think "wow, he's going WAY overboard on that fake Boston accent."  Except his is real!  It's just so pronounced that it sounds like he's faking it. lol!

[tomlawton]

Isn't there also a contradiction in the emphasis on reducing our exposure to all forms of additive risk (if I understand him right, talking about cars, sleeping under trees, getting showered) and encouraging children to be much more bold in exploring risk for themselves? The independent learning process necessarily entails increased exposure to smaller cumulative risks in the short-term so that children are 'fragilised' by being insulated from risk until they reach adolescence (and then proceed to engage in massive, fatal risks because they don't know any better). You can't have it both ways.

[ThatShyGuyMatt]

I didn't finish this yet but is this Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs and Steel? I'm guessing it is since he seems to look familiar. 

[binnsbrian]

Very interesting. Well worth the time to watch. They must wear their pants shorter in New Guinea.

[des_astresofficiel]

Mr Diamond for Nobel Prize! Racism is a plague, as we have seen until recently, and it arises from a condescending look on the other. This is why I am launching a petition to propose Jared Diamond to the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. His books restore their dignity to a number of civilizations, including the last hunter-gatherers still existing, which he frequented for years. One of his books particularly "kills" racism: "Inequality among men". I suggest that you sign this petition on @t
@t

[Sebach]

"... today it's truuue." LOL!

[toosinbeymen]

I find if VERY inefficient and disrespectful to ask 3 questions and then answer them. Why? It does not produce better answers. It just mucks with people's minds.

[springrollwang]

love this old dude, he's even better than master wu gui

[nicholastaylor]

This meeting took place two years before the UK's Brexit referendum. I wonder whether Professor Diamond, or his new book (or his wife), can demystify the reasons for the rigidity, anger and unrealism over Brexit.

[toosinbeymen]

We call them traditional societies but is that a euphemism for a society frozen in its development? Or are they societies that have taken parallel tracks -- they have still developed but not in the same way we have, obviously.