Understanding Human Nature by Steven Pinker on Free Audio Download

Psychologist, linguist and popular writer Steven Pinker speaks at length about his early life, intellectual journey and current research in this hour-long interview. Growing up a curious child in a Jewish family during the turbulent 60s, Pinker became focused on how we might unearth the nitty-gritty mechanisms that lie hidden beneath human behavior, language and more. His work is marked by an interdisciplinary instinct that has recently led him a wide range of fields that branch far from his primary role as a psychologist. His most recent books cover evidence for a general decline in violence across human history, and a book on writing that doubles as both a writer's manual and cogent study of language itself. This talk is part of UCTV's Conversations with History series and is available on streaming video and MP3 audio download.