The Essential Role of Cooperation in Human Survival

Athena Aktipis is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Human Generosity Project. She studies how people work together, especially during crises, through the lenses of evolutionary biology and psychology. Her latest book, “A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times”, digs into the history and science of cooperation.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Athena joins Leah to discuss the history of human survival during times of crisis. Drawing from her research with the Maasai tribe, Athena explains why cooperation is key to surviving both natural and human-caused disasters. She also shares how game theory can be used to build more cooperative communities. 

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