This episode of "The Anthropocene Reviewed" reviews mortification and civilization, assigning a rating to each. John Green recounts numerous personally embarrassing anecdotes to illustrate mortification, linking the intensity of these memories to neuroscience and social dynamics. He then explores the debated origin and meaning of a Margaret Mead quote about a healed femur as the first sign of civilization, ultimately questioning simplistic definitions of civilization and highlighting the complexities of its historical application. The episode concludes with a two-and-a-half-star rating for civilization, emphasizing the disparity between the ideal of valuing human life and the realities of power structures. Specific examples include Green's detailed memory of a book signing gone wrong and the analysis of a healed femur found in an 8,000-year-old burial site.
