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Crash Course Big History: Why Human Evolution Matters (11:29)

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.

Key Ideas

Think about the following questions as you watch the video


  1. 02:21 In what way is the invention of the wristwatch the result of collective learning?
  2. 05:35 When animals communicate, what problems do they solve, and how does this compare to what early human communication achieved?
  3. 06:22 Before language was in wide use, what forms of nonverbal communication did our hominid ancestors use and how effective were they?
  4. 08:31 What are some of the possible explanations for how humans’ brains evolved and grew larger over time?
  5. 10:51 What are some of the great UNKNOWNS in human evolution that scientists still pursue?