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Two controversies lurk beneath an impressive display of interdisciplinarityRecently, we at <em>Evolution: This View of Life</em> had the pleasure of attending and covering the first annual conference on “Consilience”—or the unity of the sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. The conference, of which we at ETVOL hope to see many future iterations, was organized and hosted by Joseph Carroll of the University of Missouri in St. Louis.

Evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson and science writer John Horgan reflect on the evolution of war

How can one make better inferences with less knowledge?We have shown that heuristics are often more accurate and faster in uncertain worlds than optimization methods such as multiple regression and non-linear algorithms such as neural networks. The reason is that simple models tend to be more robust than complex models with many free parameters, and are less hurt by overfitting.

The ancient reptile <em>Dimetrodon</em> exhibited a variety of different tooth shapes, probably due to evolutionary pressure from competitors who fed on similar prey.

Does evolutionary psychology misrepresent human nature?

Why do non-geology majors become so engaged in learning about their earth, and in particular about fossils, paleontology, and the evolution of life?Why do non-geology majors become so engaged in learning about their Earth, and in particular about fossils, paleontology, and the evolution of life?

New research suggests that in wartime, people tend to prefer leaders with older looking faces.Brian R. Spisak argues that ancestrally, older age tended to come with greater status, rank, and dominance, which are traits that would have correlated with success in battle.

Robots need “adaptive behavior” to accommodate changing circumstances

Primatologist Organizes Conference in Sicily on June 17-22

Long before the Napoleon Complex became a common way to refer to those of us who are small but strong, the <em>Nanuqsaurus hoglundi </em>sauntered Alaska’s North Slope, unaware history would identify her as the smallest of the great tyrannosaurids.

A large study of killings in chimp communities across Africa has cast new light on the dark side of our closest living relatives.