FSU lecture examines music’s origins through science and humanities
An October 26 FSU account describes Yale scholar Gary Tomlinson’s guest lecture on how science and the humanities can help investigate the origins of human music.
What the record says
Florida State University’s Humanities Center hosted Yale music and humanities scholar Gary Tomlinson on October 22 as part of FSU Discovery Days. The university’s October 26 account says his lecture, Evolutionary Humanities and the Hard Problem of Music, explored the question of how humans became musical. Tomlinson argued that theories about music’s social functions do not by themselves explain its origins. He emphasized connections between scientific study of biological and cognitive processes and humanities approaches to music’s cultural significance. The lecture formed part of the center’s 2026–2027 series, The Human in the Humanities.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Read FSU’s account and consult the Humanities Center’s listings for its current lecture program.
Limits and what is not established
This is an attributed account of a past lecture, not a newly established scientific explanation for the origins of music or an announcement of a future event.
Sources checked October 27, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.
Original sources
Florida State University: original information