How studying the past can reveal our future

Prof. José Braga

José studies fossils from The Cradle of Humankind in South Africa. In this talk, he passionately shares his belief that paleosciences are a helpful way to understand how time changes species and societies, including humans. Through these disciplines, we can understand the engineering process of life and predict the probable consequences of our behaviours. His research suggests that particular causes often have the same effects in different societies. By exploring our past, we can learn about our future.

—

José Braga graduated in multiple disciplines to equip himself for intensive field research in Africa, where he would study the early steps of humanity. As part of his academic development, he took on several post-doctoral fellowships in Switzerland, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa. He became a full Professor in 2006 at the University Paul Sabatier (France). José currently develops fieldwork at Kromdraai, the world-class UNESCO site within the Cradle of Humankind, where on-going discoveries fill the gaps in what we know about early human societies.

Web: cagt.cnrs.fr

LinkedIn: José Braga

Twitter: @bragaparanthrop