In this public RSA lecture held at the University of East Anglia, Steve Jones reflects on the literary Darwinist question: are we still chimps and do we write books about it?
In an attempt to answer the question Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, argues that literary theorists often misunderstand what evolution can and cannot tell us about ourselves. He highlights the problem caused by the uniqueness of humans combined with the fact that evolution is a comparative science; what do we have to compare our uniquely human literary talents with?
In a heated and varied discussion, following the lecture, teachers draw on Jones' ideas and reflect on what it all could mean for education and teaching. This covers topics such as:
- The links between English and science
- Storytelling
- The feminisation of education
- And the lack of cross curricular teaching in schools today.
