Jesse Bering on Evolution as a Natural Selection

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Jesse Bering is a cognitive psychologist, devolutionary psychologist. His work focuses on evolution as a cause of our religious and supernatural beliefs. Tamler says he's never been a believer in God but has always seen it as an illusion. He also believes that religion evolved for other reasons entirely.

Psychologist and author Jesse Bering joins us to talk about evolutionary psychology and his forthcoming book Perv. In the relatively uncontroversial part of the episode, we ask if homophobia is an adaptation and if women have evolved rape defenses. After that, sex with animals, sex with bookshelves, foot fetishes, amputee fetishes, falling down the stairs fetishes... I don't know, just listen. Or maybe don't.

Jesse Bering [jessebering.com]

Perv (pre-order) by Jesse Bering [amazon.com]

"Darwin's Rape Whistle," by Jesse Bering [slate.com]

"Natural Homophobes?" by Jesse Bering [scientificamerican.com]

The Belief Instinct by Jesse Bering [amazon.com]

Why is the Penis Shaped Like That? by Jesse Bering [amazon.com]

"I think you're some kind of deviated prevert." [youtube.com]

Special Guest: Jesse Bering.

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