Hidden Depths: The Origins of Human Connection Penny Spikins, author

Event details

Book Launch

The story of our origins has always been told by intellectuals, and has been one of increasing intelligence and large brains. But what if that story has been just a part of how myths about who we are have led to many of the problems we face today?

In this talk, we will uncover evidence from the Hidden Depths of our evolutionary past which demonstrates that emotions, rather than intellect, shaped our success. We will understand more about where human compassion came from and get a glimpse of how Neanderthals cared compassionately for their relatives. We will also learn about how expanding human sensitivities led to new developments, such as the domestication of wolves and new attachments to precious objects.

This is a story which has previously been hidden by our unwillingness to embrace our emotional vulnerabilities, but which can give us the freedom to reconnect emotionally and to build a better future.

At this event, supported by White Rose University Press, Penny will discuss how threads from her recent publication Hidden Depths: The Origins of Human Connection are of great relevance for our lives today.

Image credit:  Neanderthal Saint-Césaire © Sculpture: Elisabeth Daynes/Photo: S. Entressangle (Excerpt)