Over forty top scientists from around the world, representing a melting pot of academic disciplines, convened at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies in late May 2012 to discuss the topic of cultural evolution.
The forum was organized by Peter J. Richerson (University of California, Davis) and Morten H. Christiansen (Cornell University) under the auspices of the Ernst Strungmann Forum.
The scientists met for a five day period in four groups that considered the topics of 1) “Cultural Evolution of the Structure of Human Groups”; 2) “The Cultural Evolution of Technology and Science”; 3) “Cultural Evolution of Language”; and 4) “Cultural Evolution of Religion”. Opportunities were also provided for interactions among the groups.
The forum will result in a volume published by the MIT Press. TVOL is pleased to feature audio interviews with Julia Lupp, Program Director of the Ernst Strungmann Forum, Richerson and Christiansen, and representatives of the four groups.
Julia Lupp on the Ernst Strungmann Forum
Peter Richerson and Morten Christiansen on the Cultural Evolution Forum
Daniel Haun, Sarah Mathew, and Peter Turchin on Cultural Evolution and the Structure of Human Groups.
Robert Boyd and Alex Mesoudi on the Cultural Evolution of Technology and Science
Nicholas Evans and Russell Gray on the Cultural Evolution of Language
Edward Slingerland, Joseph Bulbulia, and Armin Geertz on the Cultural Evolution of Religion
