BBC_Science_Focus_-_08.2019

RADAR

ABOVE:We humans are destructive and treat other beings with less

regard than ourselves

LEFT:Charity and community are admirable parts of the human

psyche, but we still haven’t escaped from self-adoration

SCIECNE PHOTO LIBRARY X2

PROF NICHOLAS MONEY

Nicholas is professor of biology at Miami University in Oxford,

Ohio. His book,The Selfish Ape(£14.99, Reaktion Books), is out

now.Interviewed byBBC Science Focusonline assistant

Sara Rigby.

MAN’S PLACE

IN NATURE

THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY

(WILLIAMS & NORGATE)

Among the most

provocative books ever

published, Huxley’s 1863

masterpiece explained that

humans are primates and

that we are close relatives

of chimps and gorillas.

Author’s

bookshelf

THE ANNOTATED

AND ILLUSTRATED

DOUBLE HELIX

JAMES D WATSON, ALEXANDER

GANN AND JAN WITKOWSKI

(SIMON & SCHUSTER)

Despite Watson’s

controversial views on

many topics, the story of his

epiphany in 1953, when he

understood how the DNA

molecule must be

assembled, is inspirational.

BETTER NEVER TO

HAVE BEEN

DAVID BENATAR (OXFORD

UNIVERSIT Y PRESS)

David develops the most

unseling idea in modern

philosophy, that the human

experience of existence is

best avoided. Sadly, his

argument is watertight.

human consciousness as a unique characteristic of Homo

sapiens, but we now know that this is without foundation.

We see evidence of consciousness in many other animals,

and certainly in insects; dragonies and so forth. ey

are tremendously sensitive organisms with sophisticated

nervous systems and sensory systems.

IN ONE SENSE, SCIENCE HAS PUT A LOT OF

EFFORT IN OVER MANY CENTURIES TO PROVE

WE’RE NOT SPECIAL, THAT WE’RE NOT AT THE

CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE. WE’RE NOT EVEN AT

THE CENTRE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. SO WHERE

DID THE IDEA COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?

To answer that you have to ask is ‘what’s the source of

our narcissism?’ I think the answer probably lies in our

success in warfare. e fact that we wiped out other

hominids. I mean, some of them were extinguished by

climate change in their time, but I think the fact that

we were so successful at wiping out our competitors,

hunting our prey and changing our environment is at

the heart of this. We could look at this and say: ‘Look

at us. Look at the measure of man. Aren’t we fantastic?’

No other organism does this. But the consequence of

this is that we’ve become so successful at modifying our

environment that we’ve begun to warm the planet in a

highly destructive fashion.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD HOLD DIFFERENT,

MORE COMMUNITY-SPIRITED VALUES, AND WE

AS A SPECIES HAVE INVENTED THINGS LIKE

CHARITY AND SOCIETY WHERE WE DEPEND ON

EACH OTHER. DO YOU THINK THIS IS A SIGN

THAT WE CAN DO BETTER?

ose are certainly admirable features of human

behaviour. However, even in that case, I nd the

concentration on humanity, rather than other species,

dispiriting. Our treatment of non-human animals,

through industrial agriculture, through entertainment,

through vivisection within the biological sciences – the

justication for so much of this comes down to the

importance of humanity. So, I think even in a community

setting, we’re still concentrating on ourselves, so we

haven’t escaped from this basic self-adoration.

In terms of whether more communal living and so

forth represents a plan for saving the planet, there are

certainly some possibilities there. But, at this point, we’re

approaching seven and a half billion human beings.

I think these are like funeral decorations, really.

SO, DO YOU THINK THAT JUST AS OUR

NARCISSISM WAS A PRODUCT OF OUR SUCCESS,

THAT IT ALSO PLAYED A PART IN OUR

CONTINUED SUCCESS?

Absolutely. e idea that we’re the king of the jungle was

a huge part of our success.

But it depends what you mean by ‘success’. What is

biological success? Is an earthworm less successful than a

human being? ey’ll probably be here a long time aer

we’re gone, so maybe they get two thumbs up.

e International Union for Conservation places

humans as in the least vulnerable category right now,

because it says that we’ve populated the whole planet and

there are no obvious threats to our continued existence. It

seems remarkably naïve.

WOULD YOU SAY OUR EXTINCTION AS A SPECIES

IS INEVITABLE?

Yes. Extinction of every species is inevitable. For us,

I think it’s something that’s coming a lot sooner than

many of us would like. Oh yes, the four horsemen of

the apocalypse, if I listen, I can hear their hooves

clattering outside.