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Think Only The Strong Survive? Duke Scientist Says Survival Is For The Friendliest

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This show originally aired Wednesday, Aug. 19th, 2020

Charles Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest," is often confused for being the strongest, toughest on the block, says Brian Hare, Duke University anthropologist. Rather, it’s being able to cooperate with others that allowed us as a species to thrive and advance while other human species vanished.

So why is that the friendliest of human species can sometimes be so inhumane to its own kind?

Hare has spent years examining canine behavior, and says the same trait – friendliness – is the reason man’s best friend is still around, too. The same goes for bonobos. So perhaps there's something humans can learn from them?

GUEST

Brian Hare, Duke University professor of evolutionary anthropology, co-author of “Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity” (@bharedogguy)

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Jesse Steinmetz is Producer of Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Before joining WFAE in 2019, he was an intern at WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut and hosted a show at Eastern Connecticut State University.