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Diane Ackerman, author of 'The Human Age': Nature is not other from us

Science writer Diane Ackerman is looking at all the ways that Human Beings have forever altered the planet. We may have entered a new epoch in the history of the earth, with a single species doing more than any other force to drive change. But She remains optimistic, about humanity's hopes for shaping the future....
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The Current25:00Diane Ackerman, author of 'The Human Age': Nature is not other from us - Jan 2, 2015
Science writer Diane Ackerman is looking at all the ways that Human Beings have forever altered the planet. We may have entered a new epoch in the history of the earth, with a single species doing more than any other force to drive change. But She remains optimistic, about humanity's hopes for shaping the future.

The Apps4Apes program is an Orangutan Outreach initiative, designed to further enrich the quality of lives for primates in zoos. The animals are allowed to engage with basic apps for added mental stimulation and entertainment. Find out more.


Orangutans in a Florida zoo are joining primates at zoos around the world in a program where they play with iPads. Perhaps they even enjoy it. But writer and naturalist Diane Ackerman finds this one more sign that something's changed in our relationship with the natural world: Something fundamental.

Diane Ackerman's latest book "The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us," is a survey of the many, many ways humanity transforms the natural world. From changing weather patterns, to rearranged DNA, to apps for apes.... we're increasingly living in a world of our own design.

As part of our project, By Design, Diane Ackerman spoke with Anna Maria Tremonti last October in Toronto.


Human technology slips ever deeper into the natural world, whether the natural world wants it or not. What are your thoughts about how the natural world is transforming?

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc and if you are writing about our series By Design use #ByDesignCBC. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.

This segment was produced by The Current's Peter Mitton.

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