When Australian archaeologist Mike Morwood discovered a new species of extinct human on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, he started to refer to it as the ‘hobbit’ because it was ‘a little person who lived in a cosy hole in the ground on an isolated Middle Earth island’.
Since the discovery of the Hobbits of Flores, we have learned more and more about human evolution. Several new species have been discovered and we now know for certain that different species of humans lived alongside one another and even interbred. More and more scientists have been following Morwood in invoking the world imagined by J. R. R. Tolkien in his classic fantasy stories The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion to describe human evolution over the last two hundred thousand years.
In this talk, John Holmes will show how the science of human evolution has been shaped by the imaginary history of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, and how Tolkien’s own speculations about evolution and the relationships he imagines between different kinds of people can help us to think about what life might have been like for us and our closest relatives in prehistory.
John Holmes is Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture at the University of Birmingham and an expert on connections between literature and science. His books include Darwin’s Bards: British and American Poetry in the Age of Evolution (2009), The Pre-Raphaelites and Science (2018) and Temple of Science: The Pre-Raphaelites and Oxford University Museum of Natural History (2020).
The Lit & Phil Library is Newcastle’s exquisite secret library, open to all and free to explore and browse. This is one of a growing series of free online talks all of which are available here in the Lit & Phil's RU-vid channel.
Although the talks are free to view, all contributions and donations are very welcome! There are lots of ways to support the Lit & Phil and help ensure the beautiful old Library continues to inspire minds, stimulate imaginations and confer a wealth of knowledge to young and old alike for years to come - whether by becoming a Member, sponsoring a book or simply making a donation. Visit www.litandphil... for details.
Text Giving
On your mobile text either:
LITANDPHILFIVE to 70450 to donate £5 or
LITANDPHILTEN to 70470 to donate £10
Texts cost the donated amount plus one standard rate message.
For more information visit us at www.litandphil...
And don't forget to subscribe to this channel to get notifications of future events.
8 сен 2024