The Uniqueness (or not) of the Human Mind

The neurodiversity movement recognises that neurodivergences are both differences and disabilities; the UK Government's aim to reduce autism, ADHD, and mental health diagnosis because of what it calls 'overmedicalisation' is a dangerous oversimplification. This talk will explain neurodiversity as a concept, framework, and movement and how to support neurodivergent people. It is from a neurodiversity advocate and researcher who has influenced the autism diagnosis and challenged medical thinking in more than 50 papers, while recognizing nuances of needs, rights, and identity.

As humans, we often think of ourselves as unique compared to other species. We dominate the planet, building sprawling cities and inventing sophisticated technologies that no other species seems close to matching. But is this because we have superior cognitive abilities? As a comparative and cross-cultural psychologist, Sophie will demonstrate some of the experiments used to compare the cognitive capacities of us and our closest living relatives and companions, such as chimpanzees and dogs. These studies can help us understand our evolutionary past, our current relationships with our fellow inhabitants of Earth, and perhaps even shed light on our future.

As humans, we heavily rely on nonverbal communication—especially facial expressions. But we’re certainly not the only species to do so, even if we often like to think we are “special”. In this Pint of Science talk, we’ll explore how monkeys and apes use facial expressions in richer and more flexible ways than once thought. By looking at how primates use these signals, we’ll uncover what this tells us about social intelligence, the evolution of primate societies, and perhaps even the roots of primates’ “brain power.”