Feet Don't Fail Me

Big Picture Science

Standing on your own two feet isn’t easy. While many animals can momentarily balance on their hind legs, we’re the only critters, besides birds, for whom bipedalism is completely normal. Find out why, even though other animals are faster, we’re champions at getting around. Could it be that our upright stance made us human? Plus, why arches help stiffen feet, the argument for bare-footin’, and 12,000-year old footprints that tell a story about an Ice Age mother, her child, and a sloth.

Guests:

• Daniel Lieberman – Professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University.
• Jeremy DeSilva – Professor in the departments of anthropology and biological sciences, Dartmouth College, and author of “First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human.”
• Madhusudhan Venkadesan – Professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, Yale University School of Engineering.
• David Bustos – Chief of Resources at White Sands, National Park, New Mexico.
• Sally Reynolds – Paleontologist at Bournemouth University, U.K.

Originally aired May 24, 2021

Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake

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