Discussion: What Happened to Neanderthals & What Does It Suggest About Sapiens?

About this event

Last week's talk, The Dying Flame of Neanderthals, made the case that Neanderthals were human by almost any definition we use: they walked upright, controlled fire, cared for one another, and made stone tools as complex as those of early Homo sapiens. And yet, roughly 40,000 years ago, they disappeared. This is the follow-up discussion, where we dig into that puzzle together. Some questions we'll explore: \- If Neanderthals were as capable as us\, why did they vanish while we survived? \- How much did small\, isolated populations \(inbreeding\, lost skills\, bad luck in small numbers\) drive their extinction\, compared with climate or competition with Homo sapiens? \- What does their story suggest about what really made the difference for our own species: individual brilliance\, or the web of connections between people? \- Most people alive today outside Africa carry some Neanderthal DNA\. In what sense did they really disappear? \- What lessons\, if any\, does this hold for how we live\, connect\, and share knowledge today? You don't need to have attended the talk to join. Come curious, bring your questions, and be ready for an open, respectful conversation. This is an online event. The link will be shared here before the event.