Human Bridges

Recent scientific findings and research in the study of human origins and our biology, and primate research have reached a key threshold: we are increasingly able to trace the outlines and fill in the blanks of our evolutionary story that began 7 million years ago to the present, and understand the social and cultural processes that produced the world we live in now.

We are at an early moment in the education process—the recent science and research have not percolated into popular consciousness, or found application in centers of social influence. Our goal is to offer an accessible synthesis of these findings, and advance this material as a staple of education at all stages of life.

For an introduction to this project, read Human Bridges editor Jan Ritch-Frel’s conversations with Gary Feinman on the promise of archaeology to provide historical context for humanity and how we live today, and Michael Hudson on how the central social institutions we live by are borne out of the archaic past, and Robert Sapolsky on the social advantages of studying the biology of human behavior.

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Toward a New Common Sense of Abundance

By Colin Greer and Eric Laursen

Human Bridges Project

The Growth of Malignant and Exclusionary Social Movements

By Colin Greer and Eric Laursen

Human Bridges Project

September 11, 2024

Widening the ‘We’

By Colin Greer and Eric Laursen

Human Bridges Project

Paranthropus and the Greatest Whodunit of All Time

By Deborah Barsky

A Scholar’s Quest to Find the Ancestral People of the Most Influential Language on Earth

By Jan Ritch-Frel

Human Bridges Project

The Multi-Million-Year Path to Becoming Human—Are We Actually There Yet?

By Jan Ritch-Frel and Deborah Barsky

France: The New Grand Tour

By Alexia Angeli, Mathilde Lépine and Irina Matuzava

Human Bridges Project

Costa Rica: The New Grand Tour

By Irina Matuzava

Human Bridges Project

June 17, 2024

When Did Societal Elites Emerge?

By John P. Ruehl

Dead States, Living Borders: Three Historical Cases of ‘State Revival’: Armenia, Vietnam, and Poland

By Lorenzo Hofstetter

Guide to Artificial Intelligence

Leslie Alan Horvitz, The Observatory

“It really is godlike,” says Geoffrey Hinton about artificial intelligence. He’s been called the “godfather of AI,” so he should know. “Magical intelligence in the sky” is how Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, regards AI, while Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, warns that AI could bring about the appearance of the Antichrist. In contrast, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicts that AI will result in “the defeat of most diseases, the growth in biological and cognitive freedom, the lifting of billions of people out of poverty… a renaissance of liberal democracy and human rights.” Is AI really so transformative, or is it an evanescent trend whose importance has been overhyped? This guide won’t give you the answers. It certainly won’t tell you whether AI is a harbinger of the Antichrist. What it can do, though, is explore AI’s unresolved issues, which will almost certainly be with us for years to come

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Guide to Bioaesthetics

Irina Matuzava, Human Bridges Project

This guide explores the evolutionary origins of aesthetics in humans, otherwise known as bioaesthetics. Bioaesthetics is an interdisciplinary field that bridges biology, psychology, philosophy, and art to investigate aesthetic perception and how we perceive certain forms. Emerging research underlines the fact that our sense of beauty isn't purely cultural and has biological underpinnings.

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Guide to Human Bridges

April M. Short, Human Bridges Project

With new anthropological, biological and scientific findings, we are increasingly able to trace the outlines and fill in the blanks of our human evolutionary story. This can help us better understand the social and cultural processes that produced the world we live in now. This guide to Human Bridges explores the work of experts from the fields of human biology, human origins, and anthropology who want to contribute their individual expertise to a wider accessible body of information, and enlist in the cause to make this material a staple of education at all stages of life.

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Guide to Linguistics: The Science of Language

Danica Tomber, The Observatory

We use language every day–from spoken and signed words to written communication and body gestures–but how often do we pause to consider what drives it beneath the surface? Linguistics, the scientific study of language, seeks to answer this question by examining how language is acquired, how it functions, how it changes over time, and how it connects to both human evolution and society. Its insights reach far beyond the classroom, shaping our understanding of education, politics, technology, identity, and culture.

This Guide to Linguistics: The Science of Language is a compelling exploration of how language influences and is influenced by our experiences, values, and identities. Through a diverse collection of essays, it challenges us to rethink the language we use, as well as our perceptions of other people based on their language usage. It explores the deeply rooted power dynamics in language. At its core, it offers an illuminating journey through the many dimensions of how and why we communicate.

As you move through this guide, think about the contexts in which language is used. Ask yourself: Who is speaking? Where, when, and why? These questions will usher you toward a more nuanced understanding of what language is, how we use it, and how it continues to evolve. Whether you are a student, a lifelong learner, or simply curious about the hidden forces behind everyday communication, this guide offers an illuminating journey into the many dimensions of how and why we communicate.

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Guide to Widening the We

Colin Greer; Eric Laursen, Human Bridges Project

Throughout history, negative human impulses (such as divisiveness, greed, aggression, etc.) have birthed periods of societal crisis. For example, polarizing political agendas and greedy economic policies not only create trauma and suffering, but they also narrow the “we” by destroying community coalitions. Fortunately, we can shift the paradigm in favor of goodwill for all. This guide provides a framework for understanding this toxic societal polarization pattern and demonstrates how we have repeatedly navigated our way out of it. By reflecting on human nature and historical examples, we can create a more inclusive future for the “we” collective.

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Guide to the Hidden History of Debt

Katherine Dolan, Human Bridges Project

Our financial system originated in Mesopotamia, where it was designed to ensure economic stability for a community. Over time it has transformed into something much more predatory.

Lane F. Fargher-Navarro