In 1999, 600 students packed the Boyd Auditorium to hear UT professor Tim Rowe presented a bold hypothesis: dinosaurs never truly went extinct — they now walk, or rather, fly, among us as birds. That night marked the beginning of “Hot Science – Cool Talks,” a monthly in-person series and Spotify podcast where Jay Banner, a professor and the director of UT’s environmental science institute hosts leading scientists sharing their research in a talk show format.
Every month during the school year since 1999, Banner has filled the Welch Hall auditorium with listeners for the talks. On Feb. 28 in Welch Hall, UT professor Aaron Sandel will take the spotlight to explore chimpanzee behavior and what humans can learn from them.
“(The podcast’s) eight minutes’ worth of a conversation with the speakers, having them share what they’re excited about in their research, how they came to do their research (and) what inspired them to do what they wound up doing,” Banner said.
Sandel and Isabelle Clark, a sixth-year biological anthropology Ph.D. candidate working with Sandel, spent years in Uganda studying chimpanzees with the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project. During that time, Clark said they witnessed a rare event in the primate world: a series of conflicts that led to a tribe’s split. They will present this story about chimpanzees and what it reveals about social dynamics.
Sandel said he wanted to highlight this behavior’s remarkable nature.
“It’s rare for (chimpanzees’) groups to permanently fission,” Sandel said. “Those ties that held the community together broke down, and the relationships frayed and then they became two groups: (an) in-group and out-group, (and) distinctions arose.”
Despite not having the same societal constraints as humans, conflicts still occur within primate groups.
“(Chimpanzees) are living without political institutions, ethnicity and religion, and yet, they’re still having these relationships, like friendships (and) alliances,” Sandel said. “It suggests that to some extent … language and culture may not be what’s driving a lot of (our) dynamics.”
Despite the ongoing conflict and war, Clark said she wants to bring a positive focus when presenting.
“When I was there, I was starting to feel cynical (because) this is so deeply ingrained in us to commit violence against outsiders,” Clark said. “At the same time, we also have the capacity to be cooperative, empathetic and kind.”
She said she also believes undergraduates would find their talk engaging since it naturally follows a compelling story.
“Our research is inherently accessible and relatable (because) it follows this clear narrative,” Clark said.
Banner said he believes inviting scientists like Sandel and Clark onto such platforms plays a crucial role in making information accessible to a wide audience. Banner said he struggled with communication in his younger years, but his passion drove him to share his discoveries, something he now encourages future generations to embrace as well.
“I would tell young people that have any hesitancy about not being a good communicator, ‘Rubbish,’”,” Banner said. “You can become a good communicator, it’s just a matter of understanding how important it is and working thoughtfully to get good at it.”
