The Eastern Path to Modernity

The tech gap between China and the West is closing fast. But why did the land of paper and gunpowder ever fall behind?

May 7 • Ilari Mäkelä

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April 2026

Why Did the Industrial Revolution Happen in Britain?

"There was only one path to the 20th Century, and it traversed Northern Britain." Robert C. Allen

Apr 29 • Ilari Mäkelä

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Why Did Europeans Invent So Many Things?

A conversation with Joel Mokyr, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics.

Apr 22 • Ilari Mäkelä

7

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Why the West?

Was the rise of Europe powered by colonialism, inventions, or something else entirely? And what happened to China? Kenneth Pomeranz explains.

Apr 16 • Ilari Mäkelä

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March 2026

Where Did Humans Evolve?

Gazing at the Changing Nature of the Garden of Eden

Mar 7 • Ilari Mäkelä

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February 2026

The Original Affluent Society?

To mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 'Man the Hunter' symposium, On Humans is proud to publish the first-ever podcast interview with Richard B. Lee.

Feb 10 • Ilari Mäkelä

3

November 2025

Can We Tell a (True) Story of Human Origins?

The science of human origins keeps producing new theories. But are we any closer to telling a true story of human origins? I think so. Here is the…

Nov 25, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

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Is the Brain Free to Choose?

You decided to read this. But could you have chosen otherwise? Or do the laws of physics rule out free will?

Nov 20, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

3

October 2025

Can the Brain Understand Itself?

Scientist and historian Matthew Cobb explores the limits of neuroscience.

Oct 22, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

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August 2025

The Making of Modern India

Each winter, cool air from the Himalayas descends on Indian harbours. These winds once pushed fleets of merchant ships to both the east and the west…

Aug 16, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

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July 2025

Climate, Water, and the Origins of Colonialism

How did Europeans become the rulers of vast lands in Africa and Asia? According to Tirthankar Roy, we cannot understand this without a keen eye on the…

Jul 19, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

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How Climate Crafted Humanity—Or Did It?

In a new podcast episode, Yale professor Jessica Thompson helps us understand the long relationship between humanity and climate change.

Jul 7, 2025 • Ilari Mäkelä

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