20 Incredible TED Talks for Anthropology Majors

by Staff Writers

November 8, 2011

Because anthropology involves a breakneck collision course between so many different subjects, students with broad interests find it an absolutely thrilling major. Not like anyone can blame them, really; the multifaceted concepts behind human evolution and culture open up some intriguing, sometimes scary, truths about what it means to be a member of mankind. Seeing as how TED just so happens to harbor similar goals, plenty of its famous, stimulating Talks series feature lectures of interest to the anthropological community. A small sample of its rich intellectual bounty can be found here, but seeking out some of their other offerings will do nothing but help supplement lessons and pique eager minds.

1. Zeresenay Alemseged looks for humanity’s roots: This TED Talk sends viewers to Ethiopia on a paleoanthropological journey digging for truths behind mankind’s ancient origins. Zeresenay Alemseged shares the stunning true story of his team’s excavation of the oldest known child skeleton. A discovery that might very well open more doors toward better understanding our biological history.
2. Aubrey de Grey says we can avoid aging: Step from humanity’s past to one option in its multiple-choice future, courtesy of a respected Cambridge professor. Likening aging to a degenerative disease, he believes that the right science can reverse, even “cure,” the natural process, and describes the benefits of doing so. Time will ultimately reveal this mindset’s true outcome, but it certainly provides nourishing food for thought today.
3. Wade Davis on endangered cultures: An enviable position with National Geographic granted Wade Davis the extraordinarily rare opportunity to immerse himself in indigenous and marginalized societies worldwide. His multimedia TED Talk exposes audiences to these threatened peoples, often displaced and threatened thanks to imperialism and globalization. It’s a somber look at a tragic anthropological reality for tens of millions (if not hundreds of millions) worldwide.
4. Nicholas Christakis explains how social networks predict epidemics: Today’s anthropologists should probably pay attention to the role social media plays in forming cliques and subcultures. As Nicholas Christakis’ thorough research reveals, mapping Facebook, Twitter, and the like actually provides the quickest conduit for tracking the spread of everything from diseases to creative ideas. Suffice it to say, valuable (if not life-altering) applications for this technology exist beyond the anthropological realm.
5. Jane Goodall discusses what separates us from apes: Because biology and evolution make up a significant chunk of a future anthropologist’s education, paying attention to one of the world’s most pre-eminent primatologists is essential. After a lifetime among Tanzanian chimpanzees, Jane Goodall marveled at the eerie parallels between humans and their closest genetic relatives. But at least one glaring departure exists, revolving around differences in language and communication complexities.
6. Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny: Such simple, though often subjective, concepts like those in the title actually involve some seriously complex social and biological constructs. Though, scarily enough, the latter doesn’t always exactly gel with the former. In fact, sometimes one’s physical wiring declares the exact opposite of the philosophical.
7. Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color: In a TED Talk sure to spark some controversy and discussion, Skin author Nina Jablonski harnesses NASA’s TOMS7 satellite to draw conclusions about pigmentation and UV exposure. She notes some interesting points about UV rays’ role in darkening skin, and believes that the phenomenon eventually infiltrated humans at the genetic level. It’s compelling science, to be certain, and one anthropology students should keep in mind as their studies progress.
8. A.J. Jacobs’ lives biblically for a year: Anthropology majors nurturing a healthy interest in religion and its role in inspiring humanity toward both good and evil will undoubtedly find this particular lecture fascinating. Here, they can explore one journalist’s attempts to spend an entire year following the Bible literally, and the resulting internal and external stresses. Considering the topical nature of fundamentalism and ensuing cultural and political controversies, his insight might very well prove beneficial in the long run.
9. Chris Abani muses on humanity: This Nigerian activist’s modus operandi is simple, straightforward, and noble: “to chronicle, to share and to document stories about people.” This also happens to be the core goal of the entire anthropological community. Chris Abani collects stories the way some people collect baseball cards, and he shares some here that uphold humanity’s dignity without paying lip service to its more sinister corners.
10. Spencer Wells builds a family tree for humanity: Even though the human race boasts incredible genetic diversity these days, that coding had to start programming itself somewhere. This TED Talk by Spencer Wells, the National Geographic Society’s genographic project head, discusses how he’s currently working backwards to discover the biology every human on earth currently shares. For anthropology students and anyone else fascinated by the life sciences, his lecture is a satisfying mental treat.
11. Rodney Brooks says robots will invade our lives: Because mankind’s machines have left an indelible impact on its evolutionary, social, and cognitive development since pretty much the beginning, it stands to reason that they’ll continue to do so forever. These days, robots infiltrate so many facets of daily life in the First World, many people can’t visualize a future without them. And though this TED Talk hails from the dark ages of 2003, much of what it has to offer still applies to contemporary times.
12. Louise Leakey digs for humanity’s origins: Another amazing anthropological lecture inquiring about the beginnings of modern humans, this time coming from the Rift Valley and Lake Turkana. Here, mysteries about Homo erectus and other species who may have eventually spawned us battle it out for scientific dominance. After all, “until 30,000 years ago, at least three upright walking apes shared the planet Earth,” so right now, the real ancestor could be any one of them, or one that continues to remain unknown.
13. Kevin Bales advises us how to combat modern slavery: Slavery has plagued humanity since ancient eras, and continues netting millions of billions of dollars annually, particularly when it comes to labor and sex. Kevin Bales’ research, which he shares here, exposes the tragic, inhumane reality behind some of the world’s wealthiest industries. And then he tells viewers exactly what needs doing to ensure equitable economic treatment for all the world’s peoples.
14. Amber Case claims we are all cyborgs now: Technological advances in communications, particularly cell phones and the internet, will inevitably lead to evolutionary changes to accommodate them more and more in our daily lives. Whether or not this turns humanity into “Terminator” or useless blobs with “external brains” is anyone’s guess, but anything’s possible. Regardless, though, anthropologists will inevitably end up dealing with the aftermath, so they may as well start preparing now.
15. Robert Sapolsky shares the uniqueness of humans: TED frequently shares its favorite videos from around the web, and one particularly human-centric example comes straight from Stanford University’s Class Day in 2009. Primatologist Robert Sapolsky hilariously skewers the human animal and its often inexplicable behavior patterns. It certainly makes you wonder what the rest of the world’s biomass makes of such curious bipedal creatures.
16. Stefana Broadbent discusses how the Internet enables intimacy: Social media critics frequently lambast the isolationist components of the Internet, but cognitive scientist Stefana Broadbent heartily disagrees. Her two decades’ worth of research regarding communication via cell phone, instant messaging, social networks, and more lead her to believe that they actually encourage individuals to stay connected with one another. Loved ones separated by distance or time can use these available tools to foster closeness rather than staying apart or constantly waiting for correspondence.
17. Aaron Huey looks at America’s native prisoners of war: America’s inhumane, brutal treatments of indigenous peoples is a well-known, but tragically under-addressed, atrocity. Aaron Huey’s photographs of the shocking, impoverished conditions at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation showcase how such historical injustices continue stretching into contemporary times. The suffering of the Lakota people summarizes how horrifically imperialism’s marginalization hits native civilizations and serves as a clarion call toward social action.