In this episode of A Life In Ruins podcast, Connor and David chat with Vincent Battista, a Postdoctoral Researcher specializing in genetics. Vincent got his PhD at the University of Michigan where he studied under Milford Wolpoff, who is also the teacher of Dr. Jim Ahern, Connor and David‘s biological anthropology teacher. Connor and David chat with Vincent about his Italian ancestry, and how that formulated his interest in culture and anthropology, and they later get into his early educational career in anthropology Like most episodes with PhD‘s, the conversation gets heavy discussing the quagmire that is academia and whether it is right for some people or not. We end with a discussion about Neanderthals, as Vincent is a wealth of knowledge the subject. Interested in sponsoring this show or podcast ads for your business? Zencastr makes it really easy! Click this message for more info. Start your own podcast with Zencastr and get 30% off your first three months with code RUINS. Click this message for more information. For rough transcripts of this episode go to www.archpodnet.com/ruins/114 Literature Recommendations Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and The Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the birth of agriculture by Bruce Pascoe Guest Contact Dr. Battista's Instagram: @spaghettiwesternz Dr. Battista's Twitter: @DrBaggadonuts Contact Email: alifeinruinspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @alifeinruinspodcast Facebook: @alifeinruinspodcast Twitter: @alifeinruinspod Website: www.alifeinruins.com Ruins on APN: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ruins Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/alifeinruins/shop ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet Tee Public Store Affiliates Wildnote TeePublic Timeular Motion