Human beings have long held a unique place on Earth. What separates us from other species isn’t just our intelligence or our ability to adapt, but our culture—the collective knowledge, behaviors, and innovations passed down through generations. While many animals also have cultures, human culture stands out for its flexibility, evolutionary power, and seemingly limitless capacity for change. But what exactly makes our culture so distinct? Recently, Thomas Morgan, an evolutionary anthropologist at Arizona State University, proposed a fascinating theory that might explain why humans have been able to dominate the planet: it’s not just the accumulation of knowledge, but rather our openness—the ability to imagine an infinite number of possibilities and combinations.
