The launch is on Saturday 31 August at 10:30 AM at the Castlemaine Library. Just click on the image to book.
Nearly 3 years ago, I was approached by an American geneticist who had made an amazing discovery. Along with an expert who described the gene in question as a ‘supergene’, she asked me to prepare a list of the skills used for the knowledge systems which powered humans before writing. The amazing findings from our analysis were jointly presented at a major conference in the US. The Knowledge Gene tells the story of this collaboration.
The book goes on to describe my collaborations with musicians, artists, researchers in psychology and archaeology, members of the neurodiverse community and Indigenous colleagues in Australia and North America. I was able to continue my longterm academic exploration of knowledge systems with a new lens.
It is our knowledge, stored in a multitude of ancient, innate, universal and uniquely human formats, that make us truly human.
This book will particularly appeal to those with an interest in music, art, performance, story, literacy, memory, learning and readers of my previous books, especially Knowledge and power in prehistoric societies, The Memory Code, Memory Craft and Songlines: the power and promise.
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Publisher Description of The Knowledge Gene:
Drawing on a major discovery with tremendous implications, an Australian researcher has uncovered the source of human creativity and learning in the functioning of a supergene she calls the knowledge gene.
Over 500,000 years ago, a single gene mutated. It spread over time, becoming critical in the journey transforming our earliest ancestors into fully modern humans, capable of navigating the entire planet and beyond. Then just a few thousand years ago, humans gradually outsourced knowledge to writing, and we displaced art and music from the heart of learning.
This is the extraordinary story of the discovery of a supergene that makes us uniquely human. Dr Lynne Kelly recounts how a widespread congenital disorder was the critical clue she and her collaborators needed to identify the gene that has long eluded researchers into human cognition.
The knowledge gene supercharged our ability to learn and share knowledge with others, explaining the prodigious memories of Indigenous people the world over. The discovery of the knowledge gene unlocks many other puzzles too. It explains for the first time why humans are the only species to make art, offers new insights into the earliest music and storytelling, and into the cognitive strengths of neurodivergent people.
The Knowledge Gene shows that we can all access the full power of our memories, without giving up any of the advantages of writing and technology. The implications for learning and creativity at any age are profound.
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The Knowledge Gene will be published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin on 3 September 2024 and is available for pre-order from:
Booktopia
Amazon.au
and many other online sites.
The Knowledge Gene will be published for a North American readership early in 2025.
There are already speaking engagements booked – watch this space!