What will I learn about: how migration is an integral, natural process for all life on Earth, despite modern political attempts to criminalize and restrict human movement?

Discover how migration is an integral, natural process for all life on Earth, despite modern political attempts to criminalize and restrict human movement.

What will I learn about: Learn how the myth of a sedentary natural world persisted for centuries until World War II radar technology accidentally proved that birds migrate vast distances?

Learn how the myth of a sedentary natural world persisted for centuries until World War II radar technology accidentally proved that birds migrate vast distances.

What will I learn about: how the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus planted the seeds of modern racism by falsely classifying humans into isolated subspecies to justify European colonization?

Understand how the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus planted the seeds of modern racism by falsely classifying humans into isolated subspecies to justify European colonization.

What will I learn about: why prominent early twentieth-century Americans championed eugenics to spread anti-immigration ideologies and halt the cultural melting pot?

Find out why prominent early twentieth-century Americans championed eugenics to spread anti-immigration ideologies and halt the cultural melting pot.

What will I learn about: Explore the necessity of creating safer migration practices, including establishing wildlife corridors that allow migratory species to safely navigate our modern, developed world?

Explore the necessity of creating safer migration practices, including establishing wildlife corridors that allow migratory species to safely navigate our modern, developed world.

The Next Great Migration

The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move

Sonia Shah

★ 4.2 / 5(85 ratings)

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Categories:

Science Society & Culture History Nature & the Environment

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the long-held belief that humans are a naturally stationary species is actually a scientific myth?
💡Have you ever wondered why human migration patterns are strikingly similar to those of other migratory species across the globe?
💡What if the borders and walls we build today are actually rooted in forgotten, centuries-old prejudices rather than modern necessity?

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Key Takeaways from The Next Great Migration

✓Discover how migration is an integral, natural process for all life on Earth, despite modern political attempts to criminalize and restrict human movement.
✓Learn how the myth of a sedentary natural world persisted for centuries until World War II radar technology accidentally proved that birds migrate vast distances.
✓Understand how the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus planted the seeds of modern racism by falsely classifying humans into isolated subspecies to justify European colonization.
✓Find out why prominent early twentieth-century Americans championed eugenics to spread anti-immigration ideologies and halt the cultural melting pot.
✓Explore the necessity of creating safer migration practices, including establishing wildlife corridors that allow migratory species to safely navigate our modern, developed world.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The Next Great Migration

Mind Map

The Next Great Migration

The Myth of a Sedentary World+

Pseudoscientific Roots of Racism+

Xenophobia in Ecology+

The Overpopulation Fallacy+

DNA Evidence of Human Migration+

The Modern Refugee Backlash+

Designing a Future of Safe Migration+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

Why did eighteenth-century European naturalists like Carl Linnaeus initially believe that animals and plants were sedentary?

A. They believed all creatures settled into permanent habitats after leaving the Garden of Eden and remained there.
B. They lacked the tracking technology to observe long-distance animal movements across oceans.
C. They observed that introduced species quickly died off when moved to new, unfamiliar environments.
D. They relied on early fossil records that showed no geographical changes in species over thousands of years.

Question 2 of 9

What World War II phenomenon helped finally prove to skeptics that animal migration was a common natural occurrence?

A. The discovery of ancient petrous bones in European bomb craters.
B. Radar operators detecting massive flocks of migrating birds, which they initially thought were ghosts or 'radar angels.'
C. The introduction and subsequent tracking of reindeer on St. Matthew Island by the American Coast Guard.
D. Submarines accidentally tracking the transatlantic breeding routes of European eels.

Question 3 of 9

How did Carl Linnaeus's taxonomy system inadvertently provide a justification for European imperialism?

A. It proved that European environments were biologically superior to those in Africa and Asia, justifying land seizures.
B. It suggested that indigenous peoples were a completely different biological species than Europeans.
C. It classified humans into distinct subspecies, allowing colonists to argue that colonized people were subhuman and undeserving of equal treatment.
D. It demonstrated that human migration originated in Europe and spread outward, giving Europeans a historical claim to all land.

Question 4 of 9

What was the primary motivation behind Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn's push for stricter US immigration laws in the early twentieth century?

A. They wanted to protect native American flora and fauna from invasive species brought over by immigrants.
B. They feared that the influx of immigrants would strain the economy and lead to widespread poverty in New York City.
C. They believed in eugenics and feared that 'racial mixing' would dilute the supposedly superior genetic qualities of white Europeans.
D. They were concerned about the Malthusian threat of overpopulation depleting natural resources.

Question 5 of 9

What lesson did botanists in Hawaii eventually learn about 'invasive' or 'alien' plant species?

A. They must be violently eradicated to prevent the total collapse of local ecosystems.
B. They often find an equilibrium with native flora, making eradication efforts both impossible and unnecessary.
C. They behave exactly like the yeast in Gause's experiment, poisoning native species with toxic by-products.
D. They are a modern phenomenon entirely caused by human-made climate change and modern shipping.

Question 6 of 9

How did the events involving reindeer on St. Matthew Island influence biologists like Paul R. Ehrlich?

A. It proved that species can successfully adapt to environments with no natural predators.
B. It stoked apocalyptic fears that human overpopulation would inevitably lead to starvation and societal collapse.
C. It demonstrated the necessity of creating wildlife corridors for isolated animal populations.
D. It showed that providing food assistance to impoverished populations lowers global birth rates.

Question 7 of 9

What significant truth about human history was revealed by analyzing ancient DNA from the petrous bone?

A. Ancient humans developed in strict isolation after an initial migration out of Africa.
B. The 0.1 percent genetic difference among humans is responsible for the creation of distinct biological races.
C. Humans have continuously migrated, mixed, and merged throughout history, rather than remaining geographically isolated.
D. Early humans were completely sedentary until the agricultural revolution forced them to move.

Question 8 of 9

According to the text, what was the reality behind the media reports of a 'migrant crime wave' in Europe during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis?

A. The narratives were vastly exaggerated and fueled by racism and xenophobia rather than a unique surge in migrant violence.
B. The reports were entirely fabricated by populist politicians to justify the UK leaving the European Union.
C. The crime wave was a direct result of the Malthusian overpopulation occurring in German cities.
D. The events were accurately reported and proved that open borders lead to higher national crime rates.

Question 9 of 9

What does the author suggest as a solution to facilitate the natural migratory behavior of both animals and humans?

A. Enforcing strict population control measures to reduce the overall need for migration.
B. Relocating vulnerable species to isolated islands to protect them from human development.
C. Creating safe wildlife corridors for animals and implementing more permeable, softer borders for humans.
D. Using radar technology to redirect migratory paths away from heavily populated human settlements.