When Did Globalisation Really Beging?
Historian Valerie Hansen on the medieval echoes of our global modernity
On Humans
On Humans explores the story of humanity, from the evolution of apes to the making of the modern economy.
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The Big Picture: Measuring the Origins of the Modern World
In the final instalment of the Great Divergence series, we look at the hard numbers on the economic rise of the West.
The Eastern Path to Modernity
The tech gap between China and the West is closing fast. But why did the land of paper and gunpowder ever fall behind?
Why Did the Industrial Revolution Happen in Britain?
"There was only one path to the 20th Century, and it traversed Northern Britain." Robert C. Allen
Why Did Europeans Invent So Many Things?
A conversation with Joel Mokyr, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics.
Why the West?
Was the rise of Europe powered by colonialism, inventions, or something else entirely? And what happened to China? Kenneth Pomeranz explains.
Where Did Humans Evolve?
Gazing at the Changing Nature of the Garden of Eden
The Original Affluent Society?
To mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 'Man the Hunter' symposium, On Humans is proud to publish the first-ever podcast interview with Richard B. Lee.
Can We Tell a (True) Story of Human Origins?
The science of human origins keeps producing new theories. But are we any closer to telling a true story of human origins? I think so. Here is the story.
Is the Brain Free to Choose?
You decided to read this. But could you have chosen otherwise? Or do the laws of physics rule out free will?