On Mount Athos in northern Greece, a centuries-old monastic tradition endures as monks continue to sing the same chants practiced for over a millennium. This continuity reflects a broader perspective on culture as a living system, distinct yet comparable to biological life. Jonathan Loh, an honorary fellow at the University of Sussex, argues that culture is not merely an extension of organic life but a separate mode of life itself, characterized by the transmission and evolution of information.

Life is traditionally defined by certain criteria, among which the encoding, processing, and transmission of information are critical. In biological organisms, genes carry this information through DNA, enabling survival and reproduction across generations. However, Loh highlights a second form of self-perpetuating information that arose millions of years ago—culture. Unlike genetic information, cultural knowledge and behaviors are passed socially, learned and transmitted through human interaction.

While human culture is complex, Loh points to evidence that animals also exhibit cultural traits. For example, chimpanzees in West Africa demonstrate diverse tool use practices distinct to their respective groups, despite living in similar environments. These behaviors are learned and shared within groups rather than genetically inherited, indicating that culture predates modern humans.

Human evolution, Loh explains, reached a turning point around 2.6 million years ago during the onset of ice ages when cultural adaptations began to shape hominin development more than genetics alone. Early humans adopted a hunter-gatherer lifestyle that was not genetically predetermined but enabled by growing cultural knowledge in toolmaking, food processing, and survival strategies. This cultural accumulation influenced physical changes, such as smaller jaws and larger brains adapted for complex learning and communication.

Central to this cultural leap was the gradual evolution of language, which dramatically enhanced the transmission of knowledge. Language allowed humans to explain concepts, teach skills, and preserve information with higher accuracy than imitation alone. As a result, cultural evolution accelerated, and languages diversified alongside growing cognitive capacities. The human brain adapted to this linguistic environment, becoming increasingly specialized for acquiring and producing culture through language.

Loh describes this interplay between genetic capacity, linguistic complexity, and cultural innovation as pivotal in shaping the diversity of human societies. From ancient religious practices to modern technological achievements, cultural evolution has outpaced genetic differentiation among populations, producing an extraordinary variety of human expressions worldwide.

Looking ahead, Loh suggests humanity may be approaching another critical juncture with the rise of machines capable of self-programming. This emerging form of self-perpetuating information could represent a new phase in the history of life on Earth distinct from biological and cultural evolution. As artificial intelligence and autonomous systems develop, understanding the past interplay between genes and culture could offer insights into preparing for this potential transformation in how life continues to evolve.