Thursday 23rd Jan 2025

Ella Al-Shamahi Lecture on the Neanderthals

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On 17 January, the renowned explorer, paleoanthropologist, BBC presenter and stand-up comic, Ella Al-Shamahi, came to speak to students about the Neanderthals.

Ella is one of the leading experts on this subject, and her recent TED Talk has received over 2.5 million views. She is also the author of Times Book of the Year, The Handshake.

Aspen (DG/Year 12) said:

‘The mix of thrilling adventures and scientific insights kept the talk thought-provoking and dynamic, allowing the audience to reflect on what they thought they knew about the evolution of the homo genus. Although the focus was mainly on Neanderthals, Al-Shamahi also shared her work exploring Paleolithic caves in some of the world’s most hostile and unstable countries, such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Due to her vivid personality and inspiring stories, the talk was unusual and engaging in equal measure. Being a stand-up comedian who has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe enables her to bring a unique combination of wit and science to the stage.

In all, it was a delightful and insightful talk briefly exploring Al-Shamahi’s work as a paleoanthropologist and an evolutionary biologist.’