Fire Cooked Up Early Human Culture

[Stringmaker]

Now I'm sure most of us don't need to be told about the hypnotic hold of the fireside after dark, but this looks to be quite interesting.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/fire-cooked-up-early-human-culture/

"An anthropologist studying current hunter–gatherers finds that nighttime around the fire is when conversation turns from business to bonding."

"University of Utah anthropologist Polly Wiessner thinks that fire was also important in shaping human social interactions and cultural traditions. Her conclusions are in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Polly W. Wiessner, Embers of society: Firelight talk among the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen]

Wiessner evaluated day and night activities and conversations of Kalahari Bushmen from Botswana and Namibia. These communities still live by hunting and gathering, as most humans did over evolutionary history."



We didn't just learn to manage that stuff to cook burgers

 

[Man of Tanith]

I read this article the other day..thought provoking definitely

 

[ammo]

Very interesting. I know that i certainly find watching the coals of a fire so relaxing. I imagine thats probably the first step in connecting with a perspective mate, being comfortable in their presence.

 

[demographic]

Plus if I remember right cooking food made more things digestible which freed up more energy for our energy hungry brains.

Cooking allowed us to have a bigger brain.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

Is this such a surprise?.

When we sit down after a days hunting what else is there to discuss or talk about? Any disputes about where to go or what to hunt have been had and gone. You are free to have time to relax with your face warmed by the fire and tell stories and laugh. No energy at the end of a long day to argue anyway.

 

[ammo]

Oh it certainly affected, our diet and i truly believe our diet will affect our cognitive behavior/reactions. Neuro-transmitters are very sensitive to what we eat. as the saying goes ''you are what you eat''

Plus if I remember right cooking food made more things digestible which freed up more energy for our energy hungry brains.

Cooking allowed us to have a bigger brain.