The Evolution of Childhood — Why Childhood Exists
This episode explores The Evolution of Childhood by Melvin Konner.
Childhood is often treated as a cultural stage between birth and adulthood. Konner argues that it is something much deeper: an evolved biological strategy shaped by natural selection to manage brain growth, social learning, cultural transmission, and reproductive tradeoffs.
The analysis examines life-history theory, developmental plasticity, parent-offspring conflict, stress calibration, cooperative breeding, and gene-culture coevolution.
Rather than viewing childhood as a passive waiting room for adulthood, this episode…
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