Faculty Stories
The Serious Science of Human Nature: Robert Provine
Robert Provine's groundbreaking research into what makes us human has earned him attention from scientists and media from around the world. Provine studies how instinctive behaviors like laughter, yawning and tickling give new insights into evolution, brain function and social science. Two of his essays were recently chosen for "best of year" literary anthologies, placing him alongside top comedic minds from "The Simpsons," "The Daily Show" and "The Onion" as well as leading scientists.
One of his essays appears in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006, a book introduced by "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and compiled by novelist Dave Eggers. The book also includes contributions from Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman and satire from "The Daily Show," "This American Life" and "The Onion."
On the more serious side, a Provine essay on yawning was chosen for "The Best American Science Writing 2006," putting him in the company of top writers from The New York Times, Wired, The New Yorker and others. Other well-known works have cited Provine's unique research, including bestsellers like Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, Steven Pinkner's How the Mind Works and Kay Redfield Jamison's Exuberance.
Provine is also one of the most cited researchers in leading textbooks in his specialty, not surprising for a former student of the Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini. Comedians Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall have mentioned his ideas in their monologues, and Provine has been involved in television shows with humorists Bill Cosby, Conan O'Brian, Al Franken and Alan Alda.
Provine suspects there is a good reason why his research and writing have wide appeal. "The social sciences have traditionally focused on the environmental influences on behavior and the differences between individuals and cultures," he said. "But my work has attended to basic elements of human nature that all individuals and cultures have in common."
the basics
explore UMBC
meet UMBC
