# Evolution of Religious Beliefs

- Institution: CERN
- Department: CERN Colloquium
- Speaker: Lewis Wolpert
- Year: 2009
- Language: English
- Subjects: Biology
- Source: [CERN](https://videos.cern.ch/record/3010641)
- Licence: [CERN](http://copyright.web.cern.ch)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Humans may be distinguished from all other animals in having beliefs about the causal interaction of physical objects. Causal beliefs are a developmental primitive in human children; animals, by contrast, have very few causal beliefs. The origin of human causal beliefs comes from the evolutionary advantage it gave in relation to complex tool making and use. Causal beliefs gave rise religion and mystical thinking as our ancestors wanted to know the causes of events that affected their lives..

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## Lectures

1. [Evolution of Religious Beliefs](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/cern/3010641/d74575a29ab9), 49 min (CERN's player)