Ep. 595: Drunk: How we Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
Guest: Dr. Edward Slingerland
“It is humanity’s oldest indulgence,” says Edward Slingerland, the author of the book “Drunk.” Slingerland posits that drinking intoxicating beverages has shaped human history and played a crucial role in the rise of the first large-scale societies. Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, literature, and genetics, Slingerland uncovers the role alcohol played in enhancing creativity, reducing stress, and building trust.
“Why we like to drink is still a bit unclear; was it an evolutionary hijack or did we adapt to consuming fermented beverages? The subtitle of his book is, ‘How we Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization,’” Slingerland says. “Humanity’s 10,000-year desire for alcohol is not an evolutionary mistake – it was a crucial element in building civilization.”
Slingerland says that alcohol disarms our prefrontal cortex. He says, “It dulls that part of our brain that is always trying to control things, that’s looking for threats, that trying to remain logical. And when the prefrontal cortex is disarmed, we relax with each other, we let go enough to trust and share.” In other words, alcohol has and continues to play an important role in people getting together socially, diplomatically, in business, and romantically.
We invited Dr. Edward Slingerland, the author of “Drunk,” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how responsible consumption of fermented beverages has multiple benefits.
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