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CrowdScience

Why Does History Repeat Itself?

CrowdScience

BBC

Science

4.81K Ratings

🗓️ 27 July 2018

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Teenagers are known for ignoring their parents’ advice, but is this reputation for rebellion well-founded? If so, is rejecting the advice of previous generations and treading our own path an important part of what it means to be human? Are we successful as a species precisely because of our questioning natures? Listener Hans started pondering these questions after his own adolescent children repeatedly ignored his nagging. Many animals simply follow in their parents’ footsteps – so what makes human children different?

Marnie Chesterton and a panel of experts look at the science of taking advice and making decisions, finding out how human curiosity and exploration compare to other animals, learning the best ways to give and take advice, and seeing whether we’re more likely to trust artificial intelligence than the wisdom of our elders. Finally, we give listener Hans some expert advice on whether or not to keep nagging his kids.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Cathy Edwards

(Image: A father and son having communication issues. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of

0:07.0

Happiness Podcast.

0:08.0

For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want

0:14.4

to share that science with you.

0:16.1

And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.

0:19.4

I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that

0:25.5

calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:34.8

Hi Cloud Science. Hello, Crowd Science.

0:35.8

We're listening to Crowd Science from the BBC.

0:38.8

Hello listeners and Hello Audience. Welcome to Crowd Science from the BBC. Hello audience.

0:43.4

Welcome to Crowd Science from the BBC World Service with me, Marnie Chesterton.

0:48.0

This week we're coming to you from Westminster in London, home of British politics with an audience of opinion formers and professional decision

0:55.5

makers, which is fitting, because coming up we have a question about making decisions and giving

1:01.4

and taking advice.

1:03.1

I'm here with a very knowledgeable panel and we'll be picking their brains shortly,

1:08.0

but for those who are new to crowd science, we're the show that takes your question about

1:11.4

anything, life, earth, the contents of your

1:14.8

kitchen cabinets, anything that's science related and turns them into mostly sensible answers.

1:21.9

And this week we're tackling a question from our listener, Hans in Antwerp, Belgium.

1:27.0

Hi Crowds, and hello there in London. I'm Hans Santos from Belgium, and my question is, why is it so hard for humans to take advice from

1:34.9

previous generations? Thank you Hans. Why is it so hard for humans to accept good

1:41.7

advice from previous generations.

...

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