Christopher Lloyd on 'What on Earth Evolved'

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Christopher Lloyd on 'What on Earth Evolved'

08 Sep 2009

Speakers: Christopher Lloyd

Christopher Lloyd demonstrates evolution in the wild as a self-correcting system based on biodiversity. He uses a model railway to represent the constantly changing four billion years of life on earth, then asks the question: why has life on Earth not died out? Lloyd explains, using a practical example of candles and champagne glasses, that biodiversity is a naturally self-correcting system, like evolution.

Cannabis is offered as an example of a natural biological defense mechanism, in a similar manner to the chemical anandamide, which creates forgetfulness in humans - an evolutionary benefit during situations like child birth.

Lloyd concludes by arguing that humans are destroying biodiversity by only cultivating animals that please us. This will create a situation where biodiversity is in danger of being replaced by only a few species; meaning nature will not be robust enough to correct itself.

This video was kindly provided by Bloomsbury