The Idea of Cultural Transmission

One way we differ from other animals is that we can pass on our culture, our knowledge, our skills, not just in face to face interactions, but across generations to strangers we’ve never met, even those living long after we have died.

People in other parts of the world or born long after our deaths, can benefit from our thoughts and inventions. Without that, each generation would have to reinvent itself more or less from scratch, relying only on what they can pass on to those around them.

Narrated by Gillian Anderson. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.

From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.

This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.

Видео The Idea of Cultural Transmission канала BBC Radio 4