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SUMMARY:Teenagers: A Natural History - Dr David Bainbridge (Department of 
 Physiology\, Development and Neuroscience\, University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20131016T180000Z
DTEND:20131016T193000Z
UID:TALK47068@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ivan Lam
DESCRIPTION:_This talk is free for members of BioSoc or £2 for non-member
 s. You can sign up for life membership for the same price as annual member
 ship (£10) at this talk._\n\nIt is time to change the way we think about 
 teenagers. Far from their usual media image\, they are not society’s sco
 urge – instead they are the pinnacle of human achievement. David Bainbri
 dge\, the University Clinical Veterinary Anatomist\, is the first author t
 o take a ‘zoological’ view of where teenagers came from and what they 
 are for. Recent discoveries have now shown that teenagers are a unique hum
 an innovation\, and that\, remarkably\, they are also the key to the uniqu
 e success of the entire human race. We now know how and why the second dec
 ade of human life has become imbued with a heady mix of physical\, mental\
 , addictive\, emotional and sexual change. Teenage biology and behaviour\,
  often viewed as an unpredictable\, idiosyncratic\, disturbing mess\, now 
 snap into focus as a beautifully choreographed sequence of interwoven step
 s along the journey to becoming the most complex creature on earth.\n\nBec
 ause of its pivotal role in the human experience\, adolescence brings with
  it the most intense physical\, emotional and amorous experiences of our l
 ives. Because of this\, evolutionary inheritance can make some people’s 
 adolescence a joy they will treasure forever\, while for others it marks t
 he start of a decline into failure\, insecurity\, mental illness and suici
 de. We now know that the teenage years are not just an uncomfortable trans
 ition between innocent childhood and mature adulthood. Instead\, adolescen
 ce – the central moment when all strands of our life collide – evolved
  for a very good reason. It is the single experience that makes us truly h
 uman.
LOCATION:Large Lecture Theatre\, Department of Plant Sciences\, Downing Si
 te
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