Build Blog
Build tutor Gustav Milne releases new book
'Uncivilised Genes: Human Evolution and the Urban Paradox' - Gustav Milne
Eminent archaeologist and Build London walks tutor Gustav Milne has released a new book.
'Uncivilised Genes: Human Evolution and the Urban Paradox' opens a window on ourselves, the cities we now live in and the world we need to build for tomorrow. It argues that a far greater appreciation of our long human evolution (already tried and tested by the rigours of natural selection) holds the key to a healthier future for us all.
You can find out more about the book here.
Gustav will be teaching a one day course at Build based on his book in December - Urban Wellbeing in modern London from a human evolutionary perspective.
Urban well-being in modern London from a human evolutionary perspective
Join Gustav Milne for a full day programme and field trip as he explores 'Urban well-being in modern London from a human evolutionary perspective' on Saturday 9 December.
Discover ways in which we can adapt life-styles and even town plans to better match our ancient ‘Palaeolithic Genome’, and thus contain the otherwise inevitable rise is the often fatal 'Diseases of Civilisation'.
Towns are not our natural habitat. For some 3 million years, we evolved as hunter-gatherers, living off the land in small tribal societies, developing a working relationship with nature. Culturally, society has changed at a remarkable speed: anatomically, however, we remain broadly ‘palaeolithic’, much as we were before towns or even large-scale farming were developed around 5,000 years ago. There is a therefore a profound mismatch between modern urban living and our ancient ‘Palaeolithic Genome’, that part of our DNA that supported a ‘hunter-gatherer’ lifestyle. Discover more about this fascinating paradox with Gustav this December.
Tweet