Sapolsky is a damn ninja. He moves forward faster than wind, without even stumbling or stopping once. At the same time he juggles with multiple disciplines and throws jokes that hit each time. And then you look and realize that meanwhile he also managed to get in your head and paint there a clear picture of what's going on.

The man is a freaking expert in talking, nonstop with no mistakes, with a tranquil fast fluency. Like a river carrying a lot of water without any sing of turbulence.

Listen, I'm just an artist who wants to listen something while painting. This is the best thing that has happened to me.

Man I’m curious if he has any idea that people all around the world are still listening to his lectures like 10 or something years down the line. whoa

I love KZfaq, university lectures accessible to a high school drop out

Watching a lecture is great, but reversing it when you drift off in thought, pausing it to think, or look up nucleotide, triplet genetic code or just see what a protein actually looks like is priceless. KZfaq should make content like this a priority.

I have binged-watched these lectures mutliple times, and I am fully aware that I do not retain enough to pass any exam, but when I listen to these lectures it makes me feel home. I keep finding hard sciences too cold and social sciences too... warm? Too romanticised? Anyway, you probably get the idea. This is right there in the middle, and it finally matches where I live in my head. It's incredibly comforting if not therapeutic. I really enjoy swimming in this universe. Thank you Dr.Sapolsky for making these and Stanford for putting these up for free! This is my Netflix.

I am caring for an elderly relative and thus unable to do the masters I wanted to (just not got the energy while doing this stressful behaviour). Human Behavioral Biology is what I look forward to each week. I take notes and then look up some of the papers (if they are avaiiable). I have one more of his books to read - done two.It is keeping my brain alive (I am 67). Thank you Stanford and Professor Sapolsky. This is one of the things that is keeping me feeling more or less sane.

"Puberty; sometimes you get acne, sometimes you get a penis." - Prof Sapolsky.

Here's something to consider: How lucky are we that we can actually listen to somebody as intelligent and eloquent as this man who literally is educating some of the most educationally privileged people in the world? I'm really grateful for this, because I can't afford to go to college, because information is so valuable to me, more valuable than money, and I truly enjoy having different viewpoints that challenge my belief structure. This guy is so engaging, so intelligent and yet so gentle when he disseminates so much information. He truly wants to educate people, so he is truly in his own element. We're lucky to live in a time we can actually enjoy this kind of information because we want to, not because we have to, not because anybody told us to, but because we want to enrich our lives. Anyway, everybody have a great day!

Stanford and MIT are really amazing. They are without a doubt the best universities in the world. They care so much about educating the world, that they are willing to put their courses on the internet for free, so that ordinary people may become knowledgable. Thank you for these courses!

His style of speaking really helps adhd heads to keep listening! New experience!

_"You know puberty, it's not a big deal_ _sometimes you get acne, sometimes a penis_ _people just deal with it"_ He's got a way with words doesn't he?

It is 3 AM and i can't stop listening to this guy, and i have to go to work tomorrow....

What's interesting about how Robert Sapolsky teaches is that although he is only talking about a specific number of subjects per lecture.... the subjects he is introducing are packed with very complicated thoughts, if you don't know anything about the subjects in the first place. Once you listen to the lecture the first time, you can then re-listen, and this allows you to now have a basis for re-understanding and be able to better grasp what he is talking about.

It's incredible how he's so informed on so many different fields of study thus allowing him to explain human behavior from the micro to the macro with ease

These lectures helped me recently decide to pursue a degree in Biochemistry! Free lectures of high quality such as these is so valuable to the public. Thank you very much for that.

28:58 "and you've just given away the punchline, you creep" 😂😂😂

Wow, how is it that just 20 minutes of listening to this Man has educated me more than two weeks of class with my current professor

I find Robert Sapolsky to be a very inspirational lecturer.. Just the enthusiasm in his voice alone keeps the information he talking about more interesting.

meanwhile, my biology teacher only knows how to read off the slides and can't answer half of my questions.

I love how this professor injects humor in his lecture. Listening to this I find science really cool and genetics - awesome! I missed going back to school. It's interesting how he relates molecular genetics to the study of human biology and disease. How does the cell choreograph the events of cell division so that only one copy of each gene is passed on to the next generation? By what processes do genes become altered to provide the raw material for evolution? The possibility of finding answers to such fundamental questions makes molecular genetics an exciting field of biology. Good job Stanford.

I love having access to these lectures. Thank you Stanford for making these accessible to the public. I have always been interested in why people do what they do... I remember when I was about 10, I asked someone why 2 people can have the same experience and respond in such different ways. I was referring to siblings with alcoholic parents- why might one become an alcoholic while the other might stay away from alcohol. Both might say its because their parents were alcoholics that they either followed that path or avoiding it. This kind of thing always intrigued me. Later in college and through research(I never went to high school), I gained more understanding of biology. Biology fascinates me as well. This lecture series brings the two together seamlessly and holds my attention extremely well. I have been pondering returning to college to study something in the realm of biology for quite some time. After getting a concussion early this year, I've become almost obsessed with understanding how this intricate machine we call the human really works. I'm especially interested in how body & mind interplay. How internal is affected by external. How physical is affected by mental, and how mental is affected by biological. This series is filling in some gaps in my understanding & I can't express enough how much I value that. So, thank you again for making this available. Thank you, Robert Sapolsky for making it so engaging.

A kindly reminder, for wobble base pairing to happen, it is usually the third base that differs, rather than the second. Check any genetics textbook and you will find me correct. Nonetheless, I enjoy Dr. Sapolsky's lectures a lot. I play them as some sort of podcast and it works wonder. Thanks a lot for putting these lectures up here.

He was unknown by me a year ago. But today he is one of the biggest names I know.

I paid more attention to 4 videos of this professor speaking than I did to all of my professors in all of undergrad and grad school combined.

I only took English and Pscych in College and as interdisciplinary studies for my animation career, but just taught myself how to animate online. I love that I can continue to learn even now that I'm full time.

I sincerely respect him, he is such a good teacher too.

OMG Thank you SO much, Stanford University! I'm glad I can listen and learn and not pay $30,000 a year. Thank you thank you

this reminds me of my professors I had a Rutgers. But having now graduating I have been looking endlessly to gaining more detailed knowledge on topics I have already learned about. He is amazing!

"Puberty: Sometimes you get acne, sometimes you get a penis." Great stuff! :D

I have a Molecular Biology class for my first year of medical school here in France. It's absolutely fascinating. Thank you, Stanford; when I start my winter break next week, I'll have these wonderful videos to recapitulate the semester with.

This teacher is a revelation for me, I think ill watch everything I can from him whenever I can. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

You did a great job and service to us lay learners out here, Robert Sapolsky.

High quality education for all. More of this is exactly what the world needs.

How can one guy be so smart, AND be able to share his knowledge..?? Truly flabbergasting....

1:02:45 “evolutionary jerks” vs “creeps” (punctuated equilbrium-ists vs gradualists) wit was perfect

What a outstanding gift of access to this highly motivated educator. Thank you Dr. Sapolsky!!!

The middle nucleotide point mutation is actually the most likely to change the amino acid. The third nucleotide point mutation will code for the same amino acid, on average, 69% of the time.

If this is him just glossing over the basics I can just imagine the details that are in his head, what the advanced students/studies get to hear/learn. Amazing! (and lucky them, the advanced students)

I'm an engineering student and hasn't taken a bio class since sophomore year of HS, I wish I found these videos sooner

This is the first one in the sequence where I had to rewind to double-check my understanding. Even then, it only took me two listens to get something well outside my expertise. Terrific stuff, lucidly explained. Things like this really make me believe again in the old notion of the internet as a repository for human knowledge.

a Decade down the line and this stuff is still relevant as ever.

This lecture answered so many questions I was left with after completing biology in high school. Why are our school all 20 years behind? That's the new question.

Thanks, Robert. I had you for a week in '87-'88 first year survey, and have enjoyed following your books and on KZfaq over the many years. Hearing you tell all about the baboons helped make Stanford worthwhile.

Watching this in 2021! Absolutely incredible, I can't stop learning.

i will never see or hear the simile 'like a glove' again without mentaly replaying the sound of a lecture hall of depressed young adults disappointedly muttering the last word😂😂 love to hear it

Damn, these lectures have made me rediscover how much I love learning. School being too easy and boring pretty much beat that out of me. Now I know again what it's like to actually be curious!

The thing explained at 1:08:30 is actually code reusability. Reminds me of functions in programming 😄

It's real amazing listening to this guy, damnnn . He clarify things every straight and knock well in the head.

Listening to him is like listening to a symphony. Wonderful.

I have been watching his lectures for fun. I am taking a course this Fall in molecular genetics and thought I'd prep by watching some videos on it. I happened to search for molecular genetics and the first video that pops up is by Dr. Sapolsky. Thank you youtube!!!

"And that's how you get evolutionary jumps" right at the end. What a cliffhanger!

I'm studing pedagogics and psychology and I think... That I need to learn more about epigenetics! :D Thanks for this videos!

I was the highest graded students in my science classes. I was a borderline genius and psycho. The students in higher learning have such an opportunity in this age. I hope my work will some day effect the stars that these students can be. What a venture. Especially in biology and human development. Find the stars achievers of this incredible future

Amazingly lucid lecture on a very complex subject. But I can't help but thinking this genius, while talking in terms we all can understand, there is a whirlpool of organic chemistry formulas racing through his head simultaneously.

I'm starting to change my mind about the course that I wanted to take in College, since I'm getting fond of Mr. Sapolsky's lectures.

whoa, I just can't stop watching his lectures. I can't work, I can't do chores, I'm frickin addicted!

This is better than watching a movie. You have me hooked Mr. Sapolski.

I’m addicted to these lectures. Kudos to Stanford for making it publicly available.

These lectures are wonderful, full of enthusiasm, full of humour and explain everything clearly. I think he "gets" just about anything and everything.

1:10:29 "You can find any pattern you want to any level of precision you want as long as you're prepared to ignore enough data." mattparker

I'm officially hooked on this course - I've just watched the first 4 straight through and really need to take a break on it, but it's addictive. I particularly enjoyed getting a bit more perspective on the "controversy" around Steven J. Gould. I read a ton of his popular essays early in my lie and found it eye opening.Then I became aware he was dismissed by some in the scientific community but never quite understood while. It sounds as if that may have been resolved and it is now appropriate to look at both the time sequence approaches when seeking understanding. (Perhaps this gets more definitive later in the course.)

Bookmarked for now. I watched these lectures about 12 years ago. I looked for what I was hoping to understand - confirmation bias. Now taking notes and following up. Much to expand upon.

This guy is a genius and Stanford is great in giving us all the gift of his videos to increase our science knowledge.

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🧬 Evolution and Criticisms - Overview of the course focus on interdisciplinary connections between behavioral biology and molecular genetics. - Criticisms of the heritability and adaptation concepts in the evolution of behavior. - Introduction to the importance of molecular biology in understanding evolution. 03:37 🧬 Sociobiologists' View on Heritability - Sociobiologists and evolutionary psychologists emphasizing heritability in behaviors. - Use of structured models based on genetics to explain behavior. - Molecular biologists' contempt for the sociobiologists' approach. 04:41 🧬 Molecular Biologists' Perspective on Evolution - Shift to molecular biology's perspective on evolution. - Emphasis on genes as molecules, specifying proteins, and their role in shaping behavior. - Introduction to the central role of proteins, DNA, and the flow of genetic information. 08:00 🧬 Proteins, DNA, and Shape - Explanation of the critical relationship between DNA sequences, protein shapes, and functions. - Importance of protein shape in interactions, illustrated by the "lock and key" analogy. - Exploration of how amino acids, proteins, and DNA contribute to the diversity of shapes. 10:45 🧬 Central Dogma of Life - Introduction to the central dogma: DNA to RNA to protein. - Overview of the flow of information and the significance of DNA as the starting point. - Mention of the violation of the central dogma with the discovery of retroviruses. 13:37 🧬 Importance of DNA Mutations - Discussion of mutations, focusing on the consequences of changes in DNA. - Explanation of point mutations, deletions, and insertions. - Emphasis on the potential impact of mutations on protein function and downstream consequences. 23:34 🧬 Microevolutionary Change - Overview of microevolutionary change resulting from mutations in proteins. - Discussion on how mutations affect the efficacy of proteins. - Connection between protein function and microevolutionary changes in the context of evolution. 24:58 🧬 Genetic Mutation Impact on Enzyme Function - Genetic mutation example: Phenylketonuria (PKU). - PKU results from a classical point mutation in a gene coding for an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into a safer form. The mutated enzyme loses its function, leading to the accumulation of toxic phenylalanine and causing neurological damage. 26:24 🧪 Hormonal Mutation: Testicular Feminization Syndrome - Example: Testicular Feminization Syndrome (TFS). - TFS involves an androgen receptor mutation, leading to insensitivity to testosterone. Despite high testosterone levels, individuals with TFS develop a female phenotype. This highlights the role of receptor mutations in gender expression. 30:08 🧬 Mutation in Testosterone Biosynthesis - Disease example: Mutation in testosterone biosynthetic enzymes. - Mutations in enzymes involved in testosterone production can result in individuals born phenotypically female with extremely low testosterone levels. Puberty triggers a surge in testosterone, causing a transition from female to male. 34:50 🧠 Neurochemical Signaling and Anxiety - Genetic variation in benzodiazepine receptors. - Variability in benzodiazepine receptor genes contributes to individual differences in anxiety levels. Examining these variations provides insights into the genetic basis of anxiety-related traits across different species. 40:01 🧬 Evolutionary Implications of Genetic Changes - Fox P2 gene as an example. - Analysis of the Fox P2 gene demonstrates how single base pair changes, driven by positive selection, can lead to significant evolutionary differences, especially in traits related to communication and language. 47:37 🧬 Genetic Relatedness and Evolutionary History - Clarification on genetic relatedness. - Sharing 50% of DNA with siblings and 98% with chimpanzees is not contradictory. The percentage reflects different aspects of genetic relatedness-siblinghood involves shared alleles, while the similarity to chimps highlights evolutionary history. 48:35 🧬 Genes and Genetic Similarities - Genes specify traits like antlers, dorsal fins, petals, pistils, and more. - Different species may share genes coding for similar traits, leading to genetic similarities. - The human-chimp genome comparison highlights a 98% similarity in genes coding for similar traits. 50:01 🧬 Types of Genes and Variants - Genes can come in different flavors or variants. - Discussion on the diversity of genes and the variations in traits they code for. - Highlighting the importance of understanding different versions of particular genes. 51:28 🧬 Evolution, Genetics, and Political Themes - Point mutations and gradual changes lead to genetic advantages in terms of evolution. - Emphasis on the role of competition in the evolution of behavior and species. - Connection between gradualism in evolution and its intertwined political and philosophical implications. 52:26 📉 Gradualism vs. Punctuated Equilibrium - Introduction to the punctuated equilibrium model by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldridge. - Gradualism challenged; long periods of stasis punctuated by rapid evolutionary changes. - Exploration of the political themes associated with the two models and their contrasting worldviews. 55:07 🐚 Punctuated Equilibrium and Paleontology - Gould's punctuated equilibrium influenced by paleontology and fossil records. - Gaps in the fossil record lead to the idea of long periods of stasis and sudden evolutionary changes. - The role of paleontologists in tracing evolutionary lineages using fossil records. 56:58 🔗 Molecular Genetics and Gene Structure - Introduction to the modular construction of genes with exons and introns. - Discovery of splicing enzymes and their role in generating different proteins from the same gene. - Implications for tissue-specific gene expression and the combinatorial possibilities of protein variations. 01:07:41 🔍 Combinatorial Possibilities of Gene Expression - Baltimore's insight into the combinatorial possibilities of gene expression. - Discussion on the modular basis of gene construction leading to diverse protein outcomes. - The shift from one gene, one protein, to one gene generating multiple proteins. 01:11:54 🧬 Non-Coding DNA and Junk DNA - Discovery of non-coding DNA and the realization that 95% of DNA is non-coding. - Challenges to the notion of "junk DNA" and the quest to understand the function of non-coding DNA. - Recognition of the potential significance of non-coding DNA in genetic processes. 01:13:19 🧬 DNA Regulation Overview - DNA sequences are not the starting point of the central dogma of life; instead, they serve as the readout under the control of various factors. - 95% of DNA is dedicated to regulating genes, introducing the concept of regulatory sequences upstream from genes. - Promoter and repressor sequences are stretches of DNA coding for switches, influencing the activation or deactivation of gene transcription. 01:15:34 🔄 Transcription Factors and Gene Expression - Transcription factors are molecules, usually proteins, that bind to specific DNA sequences (promoters) and activate or inhibit gene transcription. - Different genes can share the same promoter, leading to the activation of entire networks of proteins with functional similarities. - One gene can have multiple promoters, responding to different signals, allowing for versatile gene activation in various contexts. 01:19:19 🌐 Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression - Gene expression is regulated by environmental factors, either within the cell or from external sources like hormones or chemical messengers. - Environmental signals, such as low energy levels, can activate transcription factors, influencing the transcription of genes related to energy regulation. - Hormones, like testosterone, can travel through the bloodstream and affect gene expression in distant cells, showcasing the impact of external environments. 01:24:33 🔄 Contextual Significance in Gene Expression - The most interesting aspects of DNA lie in the regulation of when genes are turned on or off, not just the properties of the proteins they encode. - Emphasis on the modular ability of one gene to generate diverse proteins based on different contexts, introducing "if-then" clauses in gene expression. - Contextual regulation, rather than the protein's intrinsic qualities, adds complexity and richness to understanding genetic information. 01:27:23 🧬 Chromatin and Epigenetic Regulation - Chromatin, the structural stabilizer of DNA, plays a crucial role in regulating access to DNA sequences by transcription factors. - Chromatin remodeling, influenced by environmental factors, determines whether transcription factors can access DNA, adding another layer of regulation. - Epigenetics, focusing on heritable changes in gene function not caused by alterations in DNA sequence, introduces the concept that development is all about epigenetics, not just genetics. Made with HARPA AI

Maybe those with the intelligence to appreciate these are just happy to have good quality lectures available. What's to hate?

Grateful to get this edu and adding Sapolsky to my Teacher/Master/Guru/Swami list!!!

How can people outside of Stanford get access to the catch-up sessions? Are there some videos or other kinds of material for them.... I would be very grateful for some insider to post them on You Tube.

I really wonder how different his lecture would be today, 11 years out.

his beard is so fluffy, would never need a neck pillow on a plane

This the kind of content KZfaq needs to promote more

Am I the only person addicted to his videos? He’s like that good bag of chips that you just can’t stop eating.

Nice lectures! There is a small mistake at ca 19:45: it is always the last/third (NOT the second) nucleotide of a codon that, when exchanged for a different nucleotide, does (often) not change the amino acid it is coding for.

THE LAST FEW QS!!! I WAS THINKING OF IT!!! This is the first time it ever happened!! Usually when I think of qs in lectures the drs never have an answer for it, or an unsatisfactory answers, but this is the first time, a professor voiced the EXACT same question Ive been thinking about in epigentics.. wow.. I wish I could meet Sapolsky 🥺🥺 stanford is sooo lucky to have him!! Its not fair 😭😭😭😭 I never knew epigenetics was a thing!!!! I was soo mindblown multiple times during this entire lecture!!! Wow.. is this what real teaching is???

I love just replaying this in the background as ambient learning

I just started my Winter break for medical school after an intense bout of finals...and I'm spending it watching a lecture series on evolutionary biology for pleasure. What is wrong with me?

I need an update of this course....how much has changed for the past 10 years?

Netflix doesn’t even have anything this binge-worthy.

What a privilege to be able to watch. Professor Sapolsky is an amazing lecturer! Thank you, Professor, and thank you, Stanford, for sharing!

can you believe this is free?

"There is a whole world of examples showing that everything I just said is wrong, but for our purposes, everything I just said is right." I love biology.

Read "The Agile Gene" by Matt Ridley. It goes over most of the things Sapolsky talks about here as well as things he talks about in previous lectures as well. It explains what Ridley calls Nature via Nurture, where our traits are modified by our nurture, and is what Sapolsky is talking about here and gives you a richer understanding of the background finds behind the same issues.

"If-then contingencies", is the computational biologists way of using the QM-TIME, mathematical singularity-duality, of frequency-probability shape shifting the numerical multiples of unit vector. Ie it's Quantum Chemistry and "probably" one of the best lecture-presentations of advancing the concepts of hierarchical complexity across all science.

His lectures are great for those that are trying to learn. I wonder how his tests are. He does a great job of illustrating the fact that nothing in phsychology is unidimensional, but that makes test taking difficult. With nothing being black and white, what would a multiple choice question look like? I'd be terrified to answer an essay question. I would love to see a sample test for him.

I'm a computer sci student on his 4th video on behaviour evolution 😂... what a professor wish I had this person as my programming professor.

9th Grade and wanted to be a biologist since I was 4. Thanks for posting these :) Finally narrowed it down to either pursue marine biology or horticulture!

I feel like he is a God in a human form to teach us knowledge and wisdom for free anonymously

Thanks for the courses your university puts out on the web. It's opened my eyes to new horizons.

Among all the dross and misinformation on the internet these lectures are a refreshing oasis of sanity and intelligent thought.

These effin lectures are mind-blowing. Extremely grateful that this guy (me) , who probably only graduated high school because his siblings died, is able to watch content such as this.

Absolutely blew my mind away! I have learned more from this 90 minute lecture than I have from all my genetics classes combined! It all now clicks and makes sense.

Epigenetics!! I wish my instructors would sound like this...class would be much more interesting. I love the variant of the vocabulary that is used. Science is awesome. Genetics are epic! :)

Never made it as a poor man, couldn't make it as a blind man stealing... BUT I'm privileged to have lectures like this to enrich my mind without cost of a tuition 🙃

Wow. I'm loving these lectures so much. This stuff has blown me away. I'm am now more fascinated and astounded by evolution than ever before. Thank you Stanford and thank you Robert Sapolsky. I will continue with this series.

I am thankful for the professor as it cleared my doubt of prescription factors while I was studying A-levels. One thing that surprisingly came up to me was how our environment is more important than our genetics when he was talking about Epigenetics.

Gotta love the cliff hanger

My eyes and ears are wide open ... As this amazing professor is not only obviously knowledgeable but also quite eloquent!🙏🙏 Thankyou SIR

listening to some of these gave me such a head start for my biology bachelor, 1 love sapolsky

Epigenetics very much solves the nature vs nurture debate too then. Since the nurturing inevitably affects how nature is expressed. . feels like my mind is gonna explode...... LOVE THIS