A Feast for Baboons

12 snips

Nov 28, 2024

Are humans innately violent? This intriguing question leads us into the world of East African baboons. Renowned neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky shares a defining moment when a troop shifted from aggression to unexpected gentleness. Discover how the dynamics of baboon hierarchies challenge our views on violence and social behavior. The story also unveils the impact of environmental changes on baboon health and dynamics. Ultimately, it prompts reflection on gratitude and kindness, mirroring lessons from these fascinating primates.

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INSIGHT

Inherent Violence?

The question of inherent human violence is explored.
Baboons, similar to humans, are often used as a model for aggression.

ANECDOTE

Baboons and the Garbage Dump

Robert Sapolsky observed baboons' behavior change after discovering a garbage dump.
The baboons abandoned their foraging habits for readily available food.

ANECDOTE

Tuberculosis Outbreak

Sapolsky's baboon troop raided the garbage dump, leading to conflict.
Tuberculosis from infected meat decimated both the dump troop and the raiding males.

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We start this story off with a question. Are human beings innately violent?

Then we head to East Africa with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, who spent his summers studying wild baboons there. Baboons are a textbook example of a hierarchical, male-dominated, and aggressive society. But one day, Sapolsky noticed that a troop of baboons became unexpectedly gentle. They deviated from the usual aggressiveness so characteristic of them and groomed each other. The key question was how do these guys unlearn their entire childhood culture of aggression, something supposedly built-in? Sapolsky tells us that tale — a moment he describes as one of the best science moments of his life.

For more: Read Robert Sapolsky’s account of his 21 years studying baboons in Kenya.

Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler. Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts. Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design. Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W. Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster. Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton. Production help from Tanya Chawla. Sound mixing by Joe Plourde.

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