This visionary scientist revolutionized our understanding of evolution, laying the foundation for theories that ultimately explain cooperation, conflict, and deception across the natural world. His work has shaped entire fields, earning him the highest accolades in biology. His insights have transformed not only biology, but also medicine, psychology, and even political theory. No, I’m not …
Continue reading Wild Genius: The Maverick Mind of Robert Trivers
Since the turn of the millennium, a seismic shift has taken place in the corporate world As I type these words, the five most valuable companies in the world— Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon— are all tech companies. Following breakthroughs made in the realm of artificial intelligence, corporations building digital minds have also …
Continue reading The Geek Way: How Silicon Valley is Reshaping The Corporate World
In 2015, the revelation that Volkswagen had been gaming emissions tests shook the corporate world. The deception involved 11 million diesel cars being fitted with a ‘defeat device’, which masked the emissions released by these vehicles when they detected they were undergoing testing, but otherwise polluted at levels flagrantly beyond legal limits. Since being busted, …
Whether weddings, national parades or religious festivals, rituals present a puzzle. We stress their importance, reflecting on these services as some of life’s most cherished moments. And yet, when prompted, most of us can’t explain why we perform them. What explains their persistence, and this apparent contradiction? In his new book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts …
In 2017, Collins Dictionary crowned ‘fake news’ its word of the year. Collins’ entry can be credited to two unforgettable events that defined 2016: the decision taken by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, and the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Dismayed and disoriented by the outcome …
Do you ever get a niggling feeling that other people are doing better than you? Don't worry, we all do. In his new book The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It, Will Storr reveals the hidden force that triggers much of our anxiety: social status. From our hunter-gatherer ancestors who roamed …
The pandemic has been a stark reminder of just how much we rely on one another. Like plagues of the past, the novel coronavirus has exploited our social nature. But our sociality is also our Get Out of Jail Free card. Billions of people complying with strict lockdowns and the race to roll-out COVID-19 vaccines …
Here's an episode I recorded with Stephen Colarelli for This View of Life podcast. Stephen Colarelli is professor of psychology at Central Michigan University. His research explores how evolutionary theory can influence how we think about, conduct research on, and manage behaviour in organisations. Steve and I discuss the application of evolutionary psychology to Human …
Among political scientists, it's widely believed that ‘cognitive biases’ (that is, quirks of the human mind) are not only detrimental, but responsible for some of history’s worst policy blunders. Whether it’s the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Chernobyl, or the Global Financial Crisis, it’s easy to think of colossal disasters that back this up. But is …
Here’s a podcast episode I recorded with Nigel Nicholson, for the Evolution Institute. Nigel Nicholson and I discuss the application of evolutionary psychology to business and management. We cover Nigel Nicholson’s academic career, and his books Managing the Human Animal, Family Wars and The “I” of Leadership. We also explore the impacts of the pandemic on the world of work. We …
Continue reading Managing the Human Animal, with Nigel Nicholson
Darwinian Business 