Additional Information

While it is often helpful to think of humans as
simply another successful type of mammal, a vital
distinction remains. When a pride of lions enjoys
a surfeit of food, they are likely to hunt quickly,
(5) eat all they can, then spend the remainder of the
day sleeping. When people enjoy such easy living,
we see a markedly different pattern—our big
brains cause us to be restless, and we engage in
play. This takes the form of art, philosophy, sci-
(10) ence, even government. So the intelligence and
curiosity that allowed early humans to develop
agriculture, and thus a caloric surplus, also led to
the use of that surplus as a foundation for culture.

	While it is often helpful to think of humans as simply another successful type of mammal, a vital distinction remains. When a pride of lions enjoys a surfeit of food, they are likely to hunt quickly,
(5)	eat all they can, then spend the remainder of the day sleeping. When people enjoy such easy living, we see a markedly different pattern—our big brains cause us to be restless, and we engage in play. This takes the form of art, philosophy, sci-
(10)	ence, even government. So the intelligence and curiosity that allowed early humans to develop agriculture, and thus a caloric surplus, also led to the use of that surplus as a foundation for culture.