Why Do We Do That? Podcast
An anthropologist's guide to the modern world. Ella Al-Shamahi investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviour.
Why Do We Do That? An anthropologist's guide to the modern world.
There are lots of everyday things which, when you think about them, are pretty weird. Like kissing, doomscrolling and sitting down to go to the loo. Social media may tell you to blame the latest influencer who went viral. Your therapist might tell you to blame your parents. But palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi is here to tell you to blame your great, great, great, great, great, etc. grandparents. For some stuff at least. In this series, Ella is joined by some wonderful guests to dive into the cultural, historical and evolutionary story of everyday human habits and behaviour.
Photo: Sarah Cresswell / The Times / News Licensing
Episodes to download
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Why Do We Doomscroll?
Fri 30 Dec 2022
Endlessly scrolling negative news? Why are we drawn magnetically to the dark side?
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Why Doesn't Everyone Clear Up?
Fri 23 Dec 2022
That messy person, who doesn’t pull their weight around the house - why people, why?
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Why Do We Wear Make-Up?
Fri 16 Dec 2022
Are make-up trends purely a fad, or is there some deeper purpose to our love of lipstick?
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Why Do We Sit Down to Poo?
Fri 9 Dec 2022
Ella gets personal to explore which is best for our business - sitting down or squatting?
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Why Can't We All Be Morning People?
Fri 2 Dec 2022
Ella Al-Shamahi explores how our Neanderthal DNA may influence our sleeping habits.
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Why Do We Kiss?
Fri 28 Oct 2022
The kiss - an exchange of 18 million bacteria or a romantic evolutionary hand-me-down?
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Why Do We Do Things That Are Bad For Us?
Fri 28 Oct 2022
Ella investigates a possible reason behind the common drive to put our lives at risk.
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Why Is Heartbreak So Painful?
Fri 28 Oct 2022
Is the pain of a broken heart much more than a romantic trope?
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Welcome to Why Do We Do That?
Tue 25 Oct 2022
Introducing Why Do We Do That? An anthropologist's guide to the modern world.
