A defining aspect of our species' success is our unusually high levels of cooperation. In particular, our ability to cooperate with others who are not related to us.The scale of cooperation among humans is rare in the animal kingdom, and is strongly at odds with our closest primate relatives. Presented with this puzzle, scientists are …
Continue reading Competition can encourage prosocial behaviour to spread
We modern humans live in a world surrounded by ever evolving technology. Whether it's the combustion engine or the modern computer, these technologies are ubiquitous and have radically altered the world we live in. What's no so obvious is how complex the technologies of traditional societies are too. Bow and arrows and clothing are just a …
Continue reading We don’t need to understand how technology works for it to evolve
Despite increasing public debate over the appropriateness of sex in advertising, sexual imagery and high status individuals continue to be used by marketers to sell products. However, answering why sexual imagery has proven so influential in advertising receives conflicting answers. Social constructionists argue that these consumer preferences are primarily shaped by people's experiences within particular …
Since the financial crash of 2008 the field of economics has been in a state crisis, where a paradox lies at the heart of the issue. On the one hand markets are remarkably rational and efficient, displaying allocation and foresight that prediction scientists are only beginning to fully grasp. Efficient markets are powerful, practical tools …
We make our mind up about people after seeing their faces for barely a fraction of a second. Far from being trivial, these impressions impact our decision making and have real world implications. For example, politicians that simply appear more competent are more likely to win elections. Can we reliably discern character from people's faces, …
One of the defining attributes of humans is that we are champion cooperators, surpassing levels of cooperation far beyond what is observed in other species across the animal kingdom. Understanding how cooperation is sustained, particularly in large-scale societies, remains a central question for both evolutionary scientists and policy makers. Social scientists frequently use behavioural game …
Continue reading Why anti-corruption strategies may backfire
David Sloan Wilson, Mark van Vugt and I have just published a special edition of This View of Life magazine, exploring business from an evolutionary perspective. Here's our introduction to the series: This View of Life magazine helps to demonstrate the value of an evolutionary perspective for many areas of society, including healthcare, sustainability, and education. Surprisingly, a domain that has yet to …
Continue reading This View of Business: How Evolutionary Thinking Can Transform the Workplace
Almost 63 million Americans voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump's victory defied experts' predictions, and shocked the world. How could a man widely dismissed as a joke, a conspiracy theorist and an impulsive narcissist with no political experience whatsoever, capture the world’s most powerful political position? Not only did Trump …
Continue reading The Appeal of the Primal Leader: Human Evolution and Donald Trump
Most things are complicated, even things that appear rather simple. Take the toilet as an example. As a thought experiment, would you be able to explain to someone else how a toilet works? If you're fumbling for an answer, you're not alone. Most people cannot either. This not just a party trick. Psychologists have used several …
An explanation for the 'beauty premium'.
Darwinian Business 