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Globalization Is Changing Our Brains

By Drew Nelles, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 29, 2009 6:20 PM CDT

(Newser) – Having boogied in 70 countries on all seven continents, Matt Harding concludes that “globalization is forcing our brains to evolve." Known via the Internet for dancing poorly with locals in far-flung locations, Harding argues that our brains were designed for social interaction within a small tribe—but we now inhabit a “single, impossibly vast social network," he writes on NPR.

The problem “isn't that the world has changed, it's that my primitive caveman brain hasn't." But when Harding dances with people, “I see them smile and laugh. The world seems simpler, and my caveman brain finds that comforting.” Because the next generation will develop brains better-suited to globalization, they will "look into eyes of strangers" and, rather than differences, see "the things that are the same.”

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (3)]

Matt Harding, left, writes, "I believe my children will have brains ever so slightly better suited to the vast complexity that surrounds us." (Flickr)

"My tribe has grown into a single, impossibly vast social network, whether I like it or not," Matt Harding writes. (Shutterstock)

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The original "Where the Hell is Matt?" video. (YouTube)

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When I dance with people, I see them smile and laugh and act ridiculous. It makes those differences seem smaller. The world seems simpler, and my caveman brain finds that comforting. - Matt Harding

People want to feel connected to each other. They want to be heard and seen, and they're curious to hear and see others from places far away. - Matt Harding

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 8 comments

Rob

Mar 31, 2009 2:05 AM CDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Rob

Mar 31, 2009 2:03 AM CDT

Well it could have been weak beer, or it could be that Europeans had a pre-adaptation for metabolizing alcohol. That's not eliminating the possibility of a selective process removing an alcohol intolerant genotype/phenotype, just offering some alternative possibilities. There are many animals that use alcohol for recreation, including Indian elephants. Since the trait is present in diverse taxa it would suggest that the genotype for metabolizing alcohol was already present in humans and those populations that don’t tolerate alcohol lost the ability rather than Europeans developing one.

Rob

Mar 31, 2009 1:12 AM CDT

OK that makes sense to me. It's the boiling not the alcohol. Thanks for digging.

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