About this podcast
Why Do We Do That? An anthropologist's guide to the modern world.
There are lots of everyday things which, when you think about them, are pretty weird. Like kissing, doomscrolling and sitting down to go to the loo. Social media may tell you to blame the latest influencer who went viral. Your therapist might tell you to blame your parents. But palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi is here to tell you to blame your great, great, great, great, great, etc. grandparents. For some stuff at least. In this series, Ella is joined by some wonderful guests to dive into the cultural, historical and evolutionary story of everyday human habits and behaviour.
Photo: Sarah Cresswell / The Times / News Licensing
Episodes
The newest 20 of 36 episodes
- More... Play with Brenna Hassett · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 25Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Play with Brenna Hassett. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 12. Why do we play? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 24Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do humans play? The Neanderthals are a species that was so close to us that we could reproduce with them, they had creativity…
- More... Bad Boys with Julia Stern · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 23Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Bad Boys with Julia Stern. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 11. Why do we fall for the bad boy? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 22Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi looks at the evidence for what people want in a partner and how it changes as they get older. Psychologist Julia Stern from the University of…
- More... Dancing with Bronwyn Tarr · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 21Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Dancing with Bronwyn Tarr. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 10. Why do we dance? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 20Dance seems like such a natural thing, a good beat comes on and you can’t help it, you might find yourself bobbing, even the rhythmically impaired might find themselves tapping…
- More... Pubs with Robin Dunbar · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 19Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Pubs with Robin Dunbar. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 9. Why do we go to the pub? · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 2Humans have evolved to drink alcohol, or at least to be able to metabolise it. And we share this ability with our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees and gorillas, who are…
- More... Nature with Gregory Bratman · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 17Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Nature with Gregory Bratman. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 8. Why does nature make me feel calmer? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 16Nature is charismatic, a good view can take our breath away and a walk in the woods can help de-stress our frazzled minds. But have we always been this way? Because after all…
- More... Blushing with Laith Al-Shawaf · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 15Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Blushing with Laith Al-Shawaf. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 7. Why do we blush? · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 14Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi asks why we blush. Even Darwin was intrigued by blushing. He called it “the most peculiar and most human of all expression” but didn’t think…
- More... Lies with Roman Stengelin · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 13Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Lies with Roman Stengelin. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 6. Why do we lie? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 12Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we lie? You might think that deception is a uniquely human characteristic, but does camouflage or mimicry in nature, where animals pretend to be…
- More... Laughs with Sophie Scott · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 11BONUS: Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Laughs with Sophie Scott. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series…
- 5. Why do we laugh? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 10Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we laugh? Some people might not have a sense of humour, you might even know someone who never laughs… but there isn’t a culture out there, say a…
- More... Dogs with Greger Larson · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 9BONUS: Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Dogs with Greger Larson. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 4. Why do we love dogs? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 8Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we love dogs? Dogs evolved from wolves but why did they choose us humans to be their best friends? They say dogs are a man’s best friend but all dogs…
- More... Grandmothers with Emily Emmott · 19 min · Season 2 Episode 7Ella Al-Shamahi explores evolutionary mysteries in More Grandmothers with Emily Emmott. BBC Studios Audio Producer: Olivia Jani Additional Production: Emily Bird Series Producer…
- 3. Why do we have grandmas? · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 6Grandmothers are a bit of a mystery, biologically speaking. If the biological purpose of life is to survive and have children, why are they so important even once they've stopped…
