ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Isabel Behncke - Primatologist
Isabel Behncke applies an evolutionary lens to human questions like: Why do we play?

Why you should listen

Isabel Behncke (MSc University College London, MPhil, Cambridge University; PhD, Oxford University) is a New York- and Oxford-based behavioural and evolutionary scientist working on the nature of social animals … including humans. She’s from the mountains of Chile and loves wild things.

After walking 3000+ km in the jungles of Congo observing the social behaviour of bonobo apes -- our closest living relatives -- in field research, Dr. Behncke now applies an evolutionary lens to questions that lie at the core of social life and creativity: Why do we go to festivals? Why does trust require risk taking? Why do adults need to play in order to not just feel alive, but also maintain health, creativity and social bonds? Why do cities need to be not just ‘smart’ but also enjoyable? And crucially why is it that the more digital we get, the more understanding of evolution we need?

She enjoys consulting and engagement in different forms, has spoken at WIRED, the G20, House of Lords, United Nations, twice at the main TED event, and around the fire in Patagonia. She also has been part of numerous radio programmes, including NPR and BBC Radio 4. She has been featured in a number of television documentaries (BBC and National Geographic) and independent cinema (e.g., ‘Bounce: How the Ball taught the World to Play’).

More profile about the speaker
Isabel Behncke | Speaker | TED.com
TED2011

Isabel Behncke: Evolution's gift of play, from bonobo apes to humans

Isabel Behncke: Evolucijski dar igre, od bonobo majmuna do ljudi

Filmed:
980,169 views

S nikada prije viđenim videom, primatologinja Isabel Behncke Izquierdo (TED suradnica) pokazuje kako društvo bonobo majmuna uči iz neprekidne igre – sami, s prijateljima, čak i kao predigra spolnom odnosu. Doista, čini se da je igra ključ rješavanja problema i izbjegavanja sukoba za bonobo majmune. Ako to funkcionira za naše bliske rođake, zašto ne bi i za nas?
- Primatologist
Isabel Behncke applies an evolutionary lens to human questions like: Why do we play? Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I just camedošao back from a communityzajednica
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Upravo sam došla iz društva
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that holdsdrži the secrettajna to humanljudski survivalopstanak.
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koje nosi tajnu ljudskog preživljavanja.
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It's a placemjesto where womenžene runtrčanje the showpokazati,
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To je mjesto u kojemu žene drže glavnu riječ,
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have sexseks to say hellozdravo,
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imaju spolne odnose da bi se pozdravile
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and playigrati rulespravila the day --
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i gdje igra vlada danima –
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where funzabava is seriousozbiljan businessPoslovni.
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gdje je zabava ozbiljna stvar.
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And no, this isn't BurningGori Man
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I ne, ovo nije Burning Man
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or SanSan FranciscoFrancisco.
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ni San Francisco.
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(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
00:37
LadiesDame and gentlemengospoda, meetsastati your cousinsrođaci.
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Dame i gospodo, upoznajte svoje rođake.
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This is the worldsvijet of wilddivlji bonobosbonobo majmuna
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Ovo je svijet divljih bonoboa
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in the junglesdžunglama of CongoKongo.
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u džunglama Konga.
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BonobosBonobos are, togetherzajedno with chimpanzeesčimpanze,
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Bonoboi su, zajedno s čimpanzama,
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your livingživot closestnajbliže relativerođak.
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naši najbliži živući rođaci.
00:51
That meanssredstva we all sharePodjeli a commonzajednička ancestorpredak,
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To znači da svi imamo zajedničkog pretka,
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an evolutionaryevolucioni grandmotherbaka,
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evolucijsku baku
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who livedživjeli around sixšest millionmilijuna yearsgodina agoprije.
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koja je živjela prije otprilike šest milijuna godina.
01:00
Now, chimpanzeesčimpanze are well-knowndobro poznati
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Čimpanze su dobro poznate
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for theirnjihov aggressionagresija.
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po svojoj agresivnosti.
01:04
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
01:07
But unfortunatelynažalost,
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Ali nažalost,
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we have madenapravljen too much of an emphasisisticanje
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toliko smo naglasili ovaj
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of this aspectaspekt
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aspekt
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in our narrativespriče of humanljudski evolutionevolucija.
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u našim govorima o ljudskoj evoluciji.
01:16
But bonobosbonobo majmuna showpokazati us
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Ali bonoboi nam pokazuju
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the other sidestrana of the coinnovčić.
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drugu stranu medalje.
01:20
While chimpanzeesčimpanze
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Dok čimpanzama
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are dominateddominira by bigvelika, scaryplašljiv guys,
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upravljaju veliki, strašni tipovi,
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bonobobonobo societydruštvo
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bonobovskim društvima
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is runtrčanje by empoweredovlašten femalesženke.
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upravljaju jake ženke.
01:31
These guys have really workedradio something out,
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Ovi su tipovi zbilja nešto razradili,
01:34
sinceod this leadsvodi to a highlyvisoko toleranttolerantni societydruštvo
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budući da to vodi visoko tolerantnom društvu
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where fatalfatalan violencenasilje
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u kojemu još nije viđeno
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has not been observedpromatranom yetjoš.
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pogubno nasilje.
01:42
But unfortunatelynažalost,
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Na nesreću,
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bonobosbonobo majmuna are the leastnajmanje understoodrazumjeti
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bonoboi su najmanje shvaćeni
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of the great apesmajmuni.
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veliki majmuni.
01:48
They liveživjeti in the depthsdubina of the CongoleseIz Konga jungledžungla,
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Žive u dubinama kongovske džungle
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and it has been very difficulttežak to studystudija them.
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i vrlo je teško proučavati ih.
01:54
The CongoKongo is a paradoxparadoks --
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Kongo je paradoks
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a landzemljište of extraordinaryizvanredan biodiversitybiološke raznolikosti and beautyljepota,
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– zemlja iznimne biološke raznolikosti i ljepote,
02:01
but alsotakođer the heartsrce of darknesstama itselfsebe --
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ali ujedno i srce same tame –
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the scenescena of a violentnasilan conflictsukob
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scena nasilnog sukoba
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that has ragedbjesnio for decadesdesetljeća
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koji bijesni već desetljećima
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and claimedje tvrdio nearlyskoro as manymnogi livesživot
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i uzeo je života skoro
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as the First WorldSvijet WarRat.
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kao Prvi svjetski rat.
02:16
Not surprisinglyiznenađujuče,
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Ne iznenađuje
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this destructionrazaranje alsotakođer endangersugrožava bonobobonobo survivalopstanak.
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da ova destrukcija ugrožava i opstanak bonoboa.
02:22
BushmeatBushmeat tradesobrta and forestšuma lossgubitak
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Trgovina divljači i gubitak šuma
02:25
meanssredstva we couldn'tne mogu fillispuniti a smallmali stadiumstadion
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znači da ne možemo napuniti manji stadion
02:28
with all the bonobosbonobo majmuna that are left in the worldsvijet --
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sa svim bonoboima koji su ostali na svijetu,
02:30
and we're not even sure of that to be honestpošten.
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a nismo sigurni ni u to, da budem iskrena.
02:34
YetJoš, in this landzemljište of violencenasilje and chaoshaos,
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Ipak, u ovoj zemlji nasilja i kaosa,
02:38
you can hearčuti hiddenskriven laughtersmijeh
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možete čuti skriveni smijeh
02:41
swayinglepršav the treesstabla.
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koji se njiše drvećem.
02:43
Who are these cousinsrođaci?
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Tko su ti rođaci?
02:46
We know them as the "make love, not warrat" apesmajmuni
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Znamo ih kao „vodite ljubav, a ne rat“ majmuni
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sinceod they have frequentčest, promiscuouspomiješan
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zato što imaju česte, promiskuitetne
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and bisexualbiseksualci sexseks
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i biseksualne spolne odnose
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to manageupravljati conflictsukob
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kako bi se nosili sa sukobom
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and solveriješiti socialsocijalni issuespitanja.
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i rješavali društvena pitanja.
02:58
Now, I'm not sayingizreka this is the solutionriješenje
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Ne kažem da je to rješenje svih
03:00
to all of humanity'sčovječanstva problemsproblemi --
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problema čovječanstva --
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sinceod there's more to bonobobonobo life
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jer se život bonobo majmuna
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than the KamaKama SutraSutre.
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ne svodi samo na Kama Sutru.
03:08
BonobosBonobos, like humansljudi,
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Bonoboi se, kao i ljudi,
03:10
love to playigrati throughoutkroz theirnjihov entirečitav livesživot.
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vole igrati cijeloga života.
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PlayIgrati is not just child'sdjeteta gamesigre.
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Igranje nije samo dječja igra.
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For us and them,
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Za nas i za njih,
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playigrati is foundationaltemeljni for bondingvezivanje relationshipsodnosa
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igra je osnova za učvršćivanje odnosa
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and fosteringpoticanje tolerancetolerancija.
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i gajenje tolerancije.
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It's where we learnnaučiti to trustpovjerenje
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Tamo učimo vjerovati,
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and where we learnnaučiti about the rulespravila of the gameigra.
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i tamo učimo pravila igre.
03:26
PlayIgrati increasespovećava creativitykreativnost
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Igra povećava kreativnost
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and resilienceelastičnost,
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i otpornost,
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and it's all about the generationgeneracija of diversityraznovrsnost --
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a sve je u stvaranju različitosti,
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diversityraznovrsnost of interactionsinterakcije,
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različitosti interakcija,
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diversityraznovrsnost of behaviorsponašanja,
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različitosti ponašanja,
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diversityraznovrsnost of connectionsveze.
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različitosti veza.
03:41
And when you watch bonobobonobo playigrati,
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I kada gledate bonoboe kako se igraju,
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you're seeingvidim the very evolutionaryevolucioni rootskorijenje
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vidite evolucijske korake
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of humanljudski laughtersmijeh, danceples
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ljudskog smijeha, plesa
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and ritualritual.
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i rituala.
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PlayIgrati is the glueljepilo
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Igra je ta nit
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that bindsveže us togetherzajedno.
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koja nas povezuje.
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Now, I don't know how you playigrati,
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Ne znam kako se vi igrate,
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but I want to showpokazati you a couplepar of uniquejedinstvena clipsklipovi
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ali želim vam pokazati nekoliko jedinstvenih isječaka
03:59
freshsvježe from the wilddivlji.
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ravno iz divljine.
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First, it's a balllopta gameigra bonobo-stylebonobo-stil --
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Prvo, igra loptama na bonobovski način,
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and I do not mean footballnogomet.
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i pritom ne mislim na nogomet.
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So here,
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Ovdje imamo
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we have a youngmladi femaležena and a malemuški
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mladu ženku i mužjaka
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engagedzauzet in a chaseChase gameigra.
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koji su uključeni u igru lovice.
04:14
Have a look what she's doing.
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Pogledajte što ona radi.
04:16
It mightmoć be the evolutionaryevolucioni originpodrijetlo of the phrasefraza,
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To je možda evolucijsko podrijetlo izraza:
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"she's got him by the ballsjaja."
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„uhvatila ga je za testise.“
04:20
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
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Only I think that he's ratherradije lovingkoji voli it here, right?
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Samo što mislim da on uživa.
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Yeah.
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Da.
04:29
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
04:31
So sexseks playigrati is commonzajednička
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Seksualne igre su česte
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in bothoba bonobosbonobo majmuna and humansljudi.
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i kod bonoboa i kod ljudi.
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And this videovideo is really interestingzanimljiv
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I ovaj je video zanimljiv
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because it showspokazuje --
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jer pokazuje --
04:39
this video'svideo's really interestingzanimljiv
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I ovaj je video zanimljiv
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because it showspokazuje the inventivenessinventivnost
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jer pokazuje domišljatost
04:43
of bringingdonošenje unusualneuobičajen elementselementi into playigrati --
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uvođenja neobičnog elementa u igru --
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suchtakav as testiclestestisi --
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poput testisa –
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and alsotakođer how playigrati bothoba requirestraži trustpovjerenje
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i također kako igra zahtjeva povjerenje
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and fosterspotiče trustpovjerenje --
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i gradi povjerenje,
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while at the sameisti time beingbiće tremendousogroman funzabava.
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a u isto vrijeme je vrlo zabavna.
04:57
But play'sigra je a shapeshiftermjenjač oblika.
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Ali igra mijenja svoj oblik.
04:59
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
05:02
Play'sIgra je a shapeshiftermjenjač oblika,
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Igra mijenja svoj oblik
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and it can take manymnogi formsobrasci,
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i može uzeti razne forme,
05:06
some of whichkoji are more quietmiran,
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od kojih su neke tiše,
05:08
imaginativemaštovit, curiousznatiželjan --
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maštovitije, znatiželjnije –
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maybe where wonderčudo is discoveredotkriven anewiznova.
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možda se ondje čuda iznova otkrivaju.
05:13
And I want you to see,
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I želim da vidite,
05:15
this is FukuFuku, a youngmladi femaležena,
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ovo je Fuku, mlada ženka
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and she is quietlytiho playingigranje with watervoda.
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i tiho se igra s vodom.
05:19
I think, like her,
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Mislim, da se kao i ona i
05:21
we sometimesponekad playigrati alonesam,
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mi ponekad igramo sami
05:23
and we exploreistražiti the boundariesgranice
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i istražujemo granice
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of our innerunutrašnji and our outervanjski worldssvjetovi.
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svog unutarnjeg i vanjskog svijeta.
05:28
And it's that playfulrazigrani curiosityznatiželja
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I ta nas zaigrana znatiželja
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that drivesdiskovi us to exploreistražiti, drivesdiskovi us to interactinterakcija,
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vodi istraživanju, vodi nas interakciji.
05:34
and then the unexpectedneočekivan connectionsveze we formoblik
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I onda su neočekivane veze koje stvaramo
05:37
are the realstvaran hotbedrasadnik for creativitykreativnost.
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pravi izvor kreativnosti.
05:41
So these are just smallmali tastersdegustatori
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Ovo su samo mali pokazatelji
05:44
into the insightsuvidi that bonobobonobo give us
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spoznaja koje nam bonoboi daju
05:46
to our pastprošlost and presentpredstaviti.
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o našoj prošlosti i sadašnjosti.
05:49
But they alsotakođer holddržati a secrettajna for our futurebudućnost,
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Ali oni također nose i tajnu za našu budućnost,
05:52
a futurebudućnost where we need to adaptprilagoditi
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budućnost u kojoj se moramo prilagođavati
05:54
to an increasinglysve challengingizazovno worldsvijet
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sve izazovnijem svijetu
05:57
throughkroz greaterviše creativitykreativnost
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preko veće kreativnosti
05:59
and greaterviše cooperationsuradnja.
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i bolje suradnje.
06:01
The secrettajna is that playigrati is the keyključ
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Tajna je da je igra ključ
06:04
to these capacitieskapaciteti.
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ovih kapaciteta.
06:06
In other wordsriječi,
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Drugim riječima,
06:08
playigrati is our adaptiveprilagodljiv wildcardzamjenski.
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igra je naš prilagodbeni džoker.
06:10
In ordernarudžba to adaptprilagoditi successfullyuspješno
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Da bismo se uspješno prilagodili
06:12
to a changingmijenjanje worldsvijet,
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promjenjivom svijetu,
06:14
we need to playigrati.
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moramo se igrati.
06:18
But will we make the mostnajviše of our playfulnesszaigranost?
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Ali hoćemo li iskoristiti svoju razigranost najbolje što možemo?
06:21
PlayIgrati is not frivolousneozbiljan.
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Igra nije neozbiljna,
06:23
Play'sIgra je essentialosnovni.
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igra je nužna.
06:25
For bonobosbonobo majmuna and humansljudi alikeslično,
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Za bonoboe i ljude,
06:28
life is not just redcrvena in toothzub and clawpandža.
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život nije samo okrutna divljina.
06:31
In timesputa when it seemsčini se leastnajmanje appropriateprikladan to playigrati,
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U vremenima kad se čini najmanje prikladno igrati se,
06:34
it mightmoć be the timesputa when it is mostnajviše urgenthitan.
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moglo bi biti da su to vremena u kojima je to najnužnije.
06:38
And so, my fellowkolega primatesprimati,
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I tako, moji kolege primati,
06:41
let us embracezagrljaj this giftdar from evolutionevolucija
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prigrlimo ovaj dar evolucije
06:44
and playigrati togetherzajedno,
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i igrajmo se zajedno,
06:46
as we rediscoverotkriti creativitykreativnost,
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i tako otkrivajmo kreativnost,
06:49
fellowshipzajedništvo and wonderčudo.
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suradnju i čuđenje.
06:51
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
06:53
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Senzos Osijek
Reviewed by Mislav Ante Omazić - EFZG

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Isabel Behncke - Primatologist
Isabel Behncke applies an evolutionary lens to human questions like: Why do we play?

Why you should listen

Isabel Behncke (MSc University College London, MPhil, Cambridge University; PhD, Oxford University) is a New York- and Oxford-based behavioural and evolutionary scientist working on the nature of social animals … including humans. She’s from the mountains of Chile and loves wild things.

After walking 3000+ km in the jungles of Congo observing the social behaviour of bonobo apes -- our closest living relatives -- in field research, Dr. Behncke now applies an evolutionary lens to questions that lie at the core of social life and creativity: Why do we go to festivals? Why does trust require risk taking? Why do adults need to play in order to not just feel alive, but also maintain health, creativity and social bonds? Why do cities need to be not just ‘smart’ but also enjoyable? And crucially why is it that the more digital we get, the more understanding of evolution we need?

She enjoys consulting and engagement in different forms, has spoken at WIRED, the G20, House of Lords, United Nations, twice at the main TED event, and around the fire in Patagonia. She also has been part of numerous radio programmes, including NPR and BBC Radio 4. She has been featured in a number of television documentaries (BBC and National Geographic) and independent cinema (e.g., ‘Bounce: How the Ball taught the World to Play’).

More profile about the speaker
Isabel Behncke | Speaker | TED.com