A tale of two cultures: How L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza bridged the gap between science and the humanities.

Abstract

This article retraces the career of geneticist L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza, from his days as a student researcher to his tenure as a Stanford University professor, and beyond. We show how Cavalli-Sforza's untiring curiosity, enthusiasm, and global knowledge led him to make incisive contributions to topics as diverse as bacterial genetics and human evolution, both biological and cultural. In an academic world where hyperspecialization is the norm, Cavalli-Sforza stood out as a scientist unafraid to promulgate and apply multidisciplinary approaches to complex issues of human origins and culture.