Category: Mind

January 4, 2018

Are Modern Businesses a Mismatch?

The current appeal of boss-less organizations may be more than just a fad; instead it probably reflects a deeper desire for the organizational structures of the past.

December 22, 2017

Thinking Clearly About Collective Intelligence: A Conversation with Geoff Mulgan about his new book Big Mind

A conversation with Geoff Mulgan, founder of the think tank Demos and current chief executive of Nesta, the UK’s National Endowment for Science, on his new book "Big Mind: How Collective Intelligence Can Change Our World".

May 3, 2017

Learning from Religion about Social Cells

What can religion teach us about the nature of human social groups?

February 1, 2017

A Groundhog Day Lesson About Fake News

What can groundhogs teach us about our fake news epidemic?

April 23, 2016

What did Shakespeare understand about the human mind?

Shakespeare understood, implicitly, what modern psychology has found: that human beings have a habit of making decisions based more on their intuitions and emotions than on their cognitive reasoning.

April 8, 2016

Doping to Win? Cheating and the Sporting Mind

Like politicians’ views of the truth, athletes believe that the morality of drug use is a matter of perspective, where ethics bends to pragmatism.

March 17, 2016

Should Evolution be Taught in Elementary School?

Nearly half of the U.S. population rejects evolution. Recent research suggests that teaching evolution to elementary aged children may help tip the scales.

March 8, 2016

Evolution Shows Us That Nurture & Love Are Fundamental To Mental Health

Evolution helps explain why the need for love and nurture is key in creating a childhood that makes humans happy and productive throughout their lives.

March 2, 2016

When Democracy Meets the Ghost of Evolution: Why Short Presidents Have Vanished

Size matters in politics: America hasn’t seen a president shorter than 5’7” since William McKinley. A main culprit, unbeknownst to many, comes from voters’ cognitive biases—the work of evolution. And the conundrum took a theatrical turn early this year when Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential hopeful, was spotted wearing a pair of new boots. #bootgate

February 11, 2016

What was Darwin Thinking? A Lesson From The Psychology of Evolution

While you may have heard of evolutionary psychology, this article is actually about the psychology of evolution itself. That is, the study of how evolutionary thinking develops and thrives across our social species, Charles Darwin being one particularly interesting case study.

February 11, 2016

Why Darwin’s Tree of Life is a Cognitively Compelling Icon of Evolution

This Darwin Day, consider investing in a tree-of-life tee-shirt or a tree-of-life necklace or even a tree-of-life tattoo. You’ll be honoring Darwin’s legacy while also conveying a cognitively apt representation of evolution to the public at large.

February 2, 2016

BBS, Brains, and the Pain of Altruism: An Interview with Barbara Finlay

The co-editor of the #1 academic Journal in the Behavioral Sciences shares her views on Evolutionary Psychology.

July 2, 2015

The World Needs a Secular Community Revolution

June 15, 2015

Evolutionary Psychology Through A Developmental Lens

June 1, 2015

The Adapted Mind Of An Evolutionary Psychologist. A Conversation With Debra Lieberman

May 6, 2015

What Isn't Evolutionary Psychology?

March 30, 2015

The Spandrels Of San Marco Revisited: An Interview With Richard C. Lewontin

March 26, 2015

All Psychology is Evolutionary Psychology

If we’re doing psychology, therefore, then we’re also doing evolutionary psychology: we’re trying to understand evolved adaptations—and their mental, behavioral, and cultural products and by-products—and our ability to do so is enhanced through the invocation of evolutionary principles.

March 9, 2015

Darwin In Your Brain. Four Reasons Why Evolutionary Psychology Is Controversial

February 26, 2015

What Is Wrong With Evolutionary Psychology? Nothing

February 23, 2015

What Is Evolutionary Psychology?

February 23, 2015

Be Curious, Be Darwinian. Why Evolution Provides The Deepest Explanation For Human Behavior.

October 17, 2014

Beauty is in the In-Group of the Beholded

Attraction is more than physical traits. Find out what else counts.Attraction is more than physical traits. Find out what else counts.

February 7, 2014

Books are Maps of Nature, Screens are Maps of Nothing

Our Stone Age brains never had or needed a way to process written symbolic language.

September 25, 2013

Is Evolutionary Psychology WEIRD Or NORMAL?

Does evolutionary psychology misrepresent human nature?

July 30, 2013

Darwinism’s Frontier – The Human Mind

Why using an evolutionary approach to understanding the mind is crucial.

May 15, 2013

Geoffrey Miller: ‘Why The Seduction Crowd Picked Up On My Work’

The allure of evolutionary psychology for the dating world.

May 12, 2013

Evolving the Future

We are closer to a science of intentional change than one might think.With three members of the EI’s Scientific Advisory Board, Steven C. Hayes, Anthony Biglan, and Dennis D. Embry, we have written a review article titled “Evolving the Future: Toward a Science of Intentional Change”, which will be published in the commentary journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS).

April 9, 2013

Does Penis Size Matter? A New Study Says Yes

How important is penis size?

March 16, 2013

When Humans Started Drinking Beer

Did beer help us become a more social species?

February 18, 2013

Obama Seeking to Boost Study of Human Brain

The project holds the potential of paving the way for advances in artificial intelligence.

February 13, 2013

Owl Monkeys Shed Light on Evolution of Love

Tiny primates form close bonds that may be foundation of human relationships.

February 13, 2013

The Psychology Of Why Cyclists Enrage Car Drivers

I've got a theory, of course. It's not because cyclists are annoying.

February 5, 2013

The Brilliance of the Dog Mind

New science reveals the multiple intelligences of mankind’s best friend.

February 2, 2013

Punish the Shirkers! Especially the Low-status Ones

Do high-status freeloaders get a free pass?

February 2, 2013

Is Scientific Genius Extinct? One Expert Thinks So

Modern-day science has little room for the likes of Galileo or Charles Darwin, he argues.

February 2, 2013

Why Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats

Research in recent years has finally revealed the genius of dogs.

January 31, 2013

Young Bonobos Offer Comforting Hugs and Sex

Young bonobos console their fellow apes with hugs and sex, say scientists.

January 31, 2013

Babies Start ‘Mind Reading’ Earlier Than Thought

Even babies as young as a year-and-a-half can guess what other people are thinking, new research suggests.

January 30, 2013

How Childhood Let Modern Humans Conquer The Planet

Is curiosity what saved the humans?

January 30, 2013

Researchers Simulate 25,000 Generations of Evolution, Boost Artificial Intelligence

Engineers and robotics researchers have solved a biological mystery and boosted artificial intelligence.

January 24, 2013

Why Did Consciousness Evolve?

Humans are aware of their own and other's minds in ways unlike any other animal. But why did consciousness evolve?

January 24, 2013

How and Why Do We Pick Our Friends?

Studies of dolphins, primates and humans show the reason we choose the companions we do is more complex, and perhaps less honorable, than we might think.

January 21, 2013

The Evolutionary Psychology of Male Humans, Female Humans, and Cats

Sex differences and evolutionary psychology.

January 18, 2013

Awaiting a New Darwin

"The mind-body problem “is not just a local problem” but “invades our understanding of the entire cosmos and its history.”

January 15, 2013

Claims of Fairness in Apes Have Critics Crying Foul

Dispute breaks out over the extent to which chimps cooperate.

January 15, 2013

Chimps Have a Sense of Fairness

Humans aren't the only ones who cry "no fair."

January 13, 2013

Darwin Was Wrong About Dating

What do women want? Pretty much what men want.

January 9, 2013

Why Do Animals Like To Play?

Recreation may look like it serves no obvious purpose, but when dogs and other animals are having fun they are learning some valuable lessons.

January 4, 2013

Are Babies Born Good?

New research offers surprising answers to the age-old question of where morality comes from.

January 2, 2013

Why Society Might Actually Need Psychopaths

Does society actually need psychopaths so it can function properly?

December 27, 2012

Monkey Brain Area Keeps Count of Kindnesses

The primates have an altruistic 'tally chart' that keeps track of social rewards and gifts.

December 24, 2012

Human Intelligence Secrets Revealed by Chimp Brains

Why humans are so much brainier than our nearest living relatives.

December 4, 2012

New Love: A Short Shelf Life

WHY, then, is the natural shift from passionate to companionate love often such a letdown?

December 3, 2012

Neuroscience Fiction

Are all these brain studies really telling us much as we think they are?

December 3, 2012

Study Shows How Intelligence In Humans First Evolved

The same genes that gave rise to higher mental function are also responsible for a number of brain disorders.

November 25, 2012

Abraham Lincoln: A Believer In Evolution Who Didn’t Think Jesus Was The Son of God

Abraham Lincoln may fairly be described as post-Christian.

November 20, 2012

The Evolutionary Mystery of Homosexuality

The mystery is simple enough. Its solution, however, has thus far eluded our best scientific minds.

November 18, 2012

Mental Disorders And Evolution: What Would Darwin Say About Schizophrenia?

How do debilitating mental disorders survive natural selection?

November 15, 2012

Ancient Weapons May Illuminate Modern Man’s Evolution

People were using weapons deeper into our evolutionary past than we previously thought.

November 8, 2012

Early Humans May Have Been Much Smarter Than We Thought

Complex tools dating 71,000 years suggest advanced stoneworking techniques persisted.

October 30, 2012

Why Are Our Brains So Ridiculously Big?

Tool use and exploration may be just side effects of social skills.

October 27, 2012

What Makes Us Human? Cooking, Study Says

Did you eat a hot meal today? It's a smart thing to do, as our ancestors learned.

October 16, 2012

From Darwin to Meme: How a Catchphrase Catches On

Blast Radius’ Mark Bardsley adds some marketing context to the theory of evolution and the idea of memes.

October 16, 2012

Brawn Vs Brain In Evolutionary Selection

Two traits of brain size and body size are driven by different evolutionary mechanisms.

October 10, 2012

Are Humans Monogamous or Polygamous?

Archaeologists, anthropologists, and biologists agree: It’s complicated.

October 8, 2012

Who’s in Charge Inside Your Head?

And this, in turn, leads to the question: who’s in charge of your own mind?

October 8, 2012

For Some Primates, Survival of the Nicest

Baboons, like people, really do get by with a little help from their friends.

October 8, 2012

Is Human Nature Fundamentally Selfish or Altruistic?

Did selfishness — or sharing — drive human evolution?

October 2, 2012

The Evolutionary Advantage of Depression

Alleles (forms of genes) that increase one's risk for depression also enhance immune responses to infections.

October 2, 2012

Darwinian Giant Robert Trivers Riffs on Toddler Tantrums, Homophobic Denial and Other Lies

Moreover, as lying has evolved, so has the ability to detect lies.

September 27, 2012

UCSB Evolutionary Psychologists Study the Purpose of Punishment and Reputation

For two decades, evolutionary scientists have been locked in a debate over the evolved functions of three distinctive human behaviors.

September 26, 2012

Breasts: The Real Reason Men Love Them

Why are heterosexual men so fascinated by women's breasts?

September 25, 2012

Play, Stress, and the Learning Brain

An extraordinary number of species—from squid to lizards to humans—engage in play. But why?

September 24, 2012

In Defense of Evolutionary Psychology

Defending evolutionary psychology.

September 21, 2012

A Reply to Professor Barash’s Rebuttal

Almost every one of his concrete assertions about the contents of my article is demonstrably false.

September 19, 2012

Death Rituals In The Animal Kingdom

Do animals have death rituals?

September 18, 2012

FYI: Why Do Girls Throw Like A Girl?

The genders are more alike than they are different, with one notable exception.

September 18, 2012

An Unevolved Take on Psychology From ‘The New Yorker’

Evolutionary biologist and psychologist defends his work and his field from a critique in The New Yorker.

September 11, 2012

IT Ain’t Necessarily So

How much do evolutionary stories reveal about the mind?

September 8, 2012

When Men Stop Seeking Beauty and Women Care Less About Wealth

The more equal men and women became, the less emphasis men placed on youth and beauty, and the less emphasis women put on wealth and power.

September 7, 2012

Men and Women Really Do See Things Differently

Men and women really don't see eye to eye, according to a new study.

September 2, 2012

Touring The Brain

Our brains are rather like a city that has existed since ancient times

August 22, 2012

Taking Over From Evolution: How Technology Could Enhance Humanity

The 21st century and beyond promises an array of novel methods for enhancing human cognition.

August 22, 2012

Monkey Angrily Rejects Unequal Pay

We don't expect animals to understand human "inventions" like economics. Should we?

August 21, 2012

Social Position Drives Gene Regulation of the Immune System

New research with rhesus macaques shows that dominance rank has a major impact on gene regulation of the immune system.

August 21, 2012

Toddlers Show Less Sympathy for Whiners

Toddlers seem to know the difference between a whiner and somebody who is justifiably upset.

August 20, 2012

The Rats of War: Konrad Lorenz and the Anthropic Shift

Rats and humans tribal instincts.

August 18, 2012

Egalitarian Drives as a Response to Bullying

A mathematical model to explain the evolution of anti-bully sentiment, or “egalitarian drives” within groups.

August 17, 2012

Fertility Study Suggests Men Prefer Ovulating Women: Bunk Science or Evolutionary Truth?

Want to be irresistible on the dance floor, ladies?

August 14, 2012

Evolution Stands Up To Bullies

A new study examines humanity's drive to stand up against bullies.

August 12, 2012

“It’s A Boy!” What Does Evolutionary Theory Have To Do With Your Car?

We apply the same facial judgments to cars as we do to human faces.

August 11, 2012

Neuroscientists Find Brain Stem Cells That May Be Responsible For Higher Functions, Bigger Brains

Scientists discover stem cells that give rise to consciousness.

August 7, 2012

Social Network Size Linked to Brain Size

How and why the volume of the orbital prefrontal cortex is related to the size of social networks.

August 6, 2012

An Anthropologist Walks Into A Bar And Asks, ‘Why Is This Joke Funny?’

Why humor evolved.

August 4, 2012

Being Playful Into Adulthood Serves Evolutionary Purpose, Helps People Find Love.

The evolutionary reason behind humans' persistence of play well into adulthood.

July 30, 2012

Eating With an Ex ‘Can Trigger Sexual Jealousy,’ Study Finds

Do people believe that sharing food might involve sharing more than just food?

July 28, 2012

The Origins of Racism

modern evolutionary biology is making enormous contributions to our understanding of how our ideas of race, racism, gender, and sexism arise.

July 27, 2012

Victory Stance May Be a Universal Gesture of Triumph

The study suggests that displays of triumph may have an important role in evolution, perhaps by helping individuals signal status and dominance in early human societies.

July 20, 2012

10 Mind-Boggling Psychological Phenomena; Part 1

If we examine puzzling visual illusions we can get an idea of how the brain normally does its work.