Understanding where we come from as a species has been one of the great goals of humankind, exploring the questions of where we come from and why we are here as a species. In this lecture, Professor Lee Berger will explore some of the greatest discoveries of the last two decades in the search for human origins, discoveries he has been instrumental in and intimately involved with. These discoveries have led us to re-evaluate the story of human origins on the continent of Africa. With lessons from what has been described as one of the most challenging sciences on earth, Berger will explore why he believes we are in the midst of the greatest age of exploration and relate the importance of lessons he has learned during his search for understanding human origins that he believes are applicable to all areas of scientific endeavor and to our daily lives.

This lecture at Princeton will be the first public lecture following the announcement of a significant discovery, a discovery involving Princeton collaboration, that is certain to have major impact on our understanding of human origins. The audience will have the opportunity to engage with Berger and his colleagues on this discovery, and other aspects of exploration and human origins.