In Defense of Anger: An Evolutionary Necessity and its Contemporary Applicability
keywords:
anger / tool / evolution / recalibrational theory / meme
In Defense of Anger: An Evolutionary Necessity and its Contemporary Applicability
Anger is defined as an unpleasant feeling that results from an unpleasant event and it is, therefore, not particularly surprising that so many people dismiss it as a pointless emotion. However, anger has proven to confer a great number of evolutionary benefits on those who utilize it, including (1) improving one’s bargaining position, (2) ensuring the wellbeing of society, (3) signalling to others that you care about the wellbeing of society, and (4) convincing authors to not...
/ moreWhen science selects for fraud
keywords:
methodology / culture / situationism / evolution / social evolution / fraud / personality
When science selects for fraud
Are fraud and other questionable practices in science caused by a few bad apples, or a culture that rewards based on results, not rigor? In this post, I will argue that our scientific environment is selecting for the wrong kind of scientist. / more
On Scaffolds and Sweet Potatoes
keywords:
culture / evolution / macaques / scaffolding
On Scaffolds and Sweet Potatoes
One of the most simplest things ever made was the scaffold. Thinking about its consequences however has recently opened up a world of possibilities for scientists that might lead to new ways of thinking about culture, the human mind, and their development. / more
Why We Are Still Social
keywords:
evolution / social / human / group living
Why We Are Still Social
Some years ago, when I first began writing about the evolution of human sociality, a colleague put to me the question: Why are humans still social? That “still” was weighty with meaning—the idea of a primal solitary state, to which humans might return, perhaps finally freed from group living by technological progress. I was dumbfounded. Humans have no choice but to live in groups. They are unable to reproduce and survive to reproductive age without a group,... / more
The dish on gossip: Its origins, functions, and bad reputation
keywords:
bad reputation / benefits / connectedness / evolution / gossip
The dish on gossip: Its origins, functions, and bad reputation
Gossip is ubiquitous – chances are that you have shared, heard, or been the topic of gossip today. Why do we love to talk about other people? Is gossiping part of our human nature? Are there benefits of gossip, to either the individual or to society? In this article I will review what researchers have learned about the nature of ... / more