Why do we do that?

Why Do We Do That?

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Ella Al-Shamahi investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviour.

An anthropologist's guide to the modern world. Ella Al-Shamahi investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviour.

Why Do We Do That? An anthropologist's guide to the modern world.

There are lots of everyday things which, when you think about them, are pretty weird. Like kissing, doomscrolling and sitting down to go to the loo. Social media may tell you to blame the latest influencer who went viral. Your therapist might tell you to blame your parents. But palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi is here to tell you to blame your great, great, great, great, great, etc. grandparents. For some stuff at least. In this series, Ella is joined by some wonderful guests to dive into the cultural, historical and evolutionary story of everyday human habits and behaviour.

Photo: Sarah Cresswell / The Times / News Licensing

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Why Do We Do That?: Why Do We Kiss?

Why Do We Kiss?

BBC Radio 4 - Why Do We Do That?, Why Do We Kiss?

The kiss - an exchange of 18 million bacteria or a romantic evolutionary hand-me-down?

Why do we find a snog sexy? Ella Al-Shamahi explores if our evolutionary ancestors enjoyed kissing as much as we do…or is the kiss something we’ve learnt more recently?

This episode is all about the iconic kiss. Is it as universal as we think? One study suggests that lip-to-lip romantic kissing - the snog, if you will - is only present in 46% of cultures around the world. So did we just recently learn to do it? Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to Journalist and Radio 1 Life Hacks Presenter Katie Thistleton to get deep into the strangeness of kissing. Speaking to Dr Rafael Wlodarski from Oxford University, they find out how kissing, or getting close to one another, has been shown to give away clues about your genetic information via smells - and why we find the smell of someone who is genetically compatible with us more attractive.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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