In his latest book, The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire, British paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and wry wordsmith Henry Gee examines humanity’s precarious journey on the tree of life.

For millions of years, small groups of scrappy, upright apes have lived “one meal away from starvation and two meals away from extinction.” Yet, against all odds, humans went from extras in the drama of life to a lead role in Earth’s history.

Join comedian Shane Mauss and scientist Henry Gee as they share laughs, insights, and philosophies about humanity's past, present, and future. Take a break from the day-to-day grind to explore the unfathomably vast scale of time we miraculously find ourselves existing within.

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Shane and Henry’s two previous conversations on Shane’s long-running science podcast, Here We Are.

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Shane and Henry’s two previous conversations on Shane’s long-running science podcast, https://www.herewearepodcast.com/

Want to get Henry Gee's books while supporting local bookstores and this show INSTEAD of corporate monopolies? https://bookshop.org/lists/guest-books-inshanely-curious

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Randal Roberts is the InShanely talented painter creating the evolving show art https://www.allofthisisforyou.com/

Special thanks to audio guru Logan Keith for editing and co-producing this series https://loganraykeith.com/