Mechanism vs. Function: Rat Utopia Parallel

Danielle Sulikowski, professor of evolutionary psychology, presents a controversial theory on why global fertility rates and birth rates are collapsing.

She argues that an evolutionary strategy known as female mate suppression—where dominant women repress the reproductive success of rivals—has shifted in humans into a modern form of antinatal social contagion.

Rather than direct biological suppression, the strategy manifests as propaganda and cultural messaging that discourage motherhood, promote career over family, and accelerate population decline.

We explore how intrasexual competition among women could shape civilization itself, why some groups might defect against their own society to gain an evolutionary edge, and how this connects to broader debates in feminism, cultural evolution, and civilizational collapse.

The conversation also ties in the density-dependent dynamics of Calhoun’s Rat Utopia experiments as a possible parallel to modern urbanization, social media, and declining birth rates.PATREON https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADIGM DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-showOUR HOMEBREWED MUSICCheck out our band's new album:https://secretaryofnature.bandcamp.com/album/everything-is-so-good-hereVinyl pre-orders available now: https://buy.stripe.com/14A5kC3Od5d21Ms7zPdEs0900:00 Go! Introducing the Central Crisis of Western Civilization

00:05:53 Intrasexual mate Suppression in Animals

00:09:03 The Mechanisms of Intrasexual Competition

00:12:29 Competitive Mothering Dynamics

00:18:03 Advising on Haircut Strategies

00:20:07 Understanding Intrasexual Competition Measurement

00:21:56 Female Competitiveness Dynamics

00:25:10 Personal Experiences with Gender Dynamics

00:29:32 Navigating Social Circles and Competition

00:33:00 Changes in Intersexual Competitiveness Among Women

00:38:05 Feminism and Reproductive Suppression

00:42:27 Societal Trends and Competitive Behavior

00:43:10 Human Behavior and Civilization Cycles

00:46:08 Decline of Birth Rates and Societal Institutions

00:50:20 Reproductive Strategies and Societal Feedback Loops

00:53:07 The Role of Intellectual Discourse in Civilizational Shifts

00:56:15 Rationalizing Birth Rate Declines

01:00:21 Evolutionary Explanations for Civilizational Behavior

01:05:25 Empirical Examination of Birth Rate Decline

01:09:12 Exploring Male Responses and Societal Dynamics

01:12:15 Intersecting Ideologies and Population Messaging

01:20:00 Internet Influence on Cultural Dynamics

01:25:00 Mechanistic and Functional Explanations of Behavior

01:27:03 Discussion on Societal Decline and Birth Rates

01:31:21 Exploring Societal Change and Its Cyclical Nature

01:35:34 The Role of Technology and Interconnectedness

01:40:13 Urbanization Effects and Cultural Dynamics

01:44:27 Gender Dynamics and Cultural Evolution

01:47:44 Discussion on Social Influence and Elite Classes

01:51:50 Class and Reproductive Strategies

01:54:43 Urbanization's Impact on Society

02:00:08 Evolution vs. Morality in Society

02:02:57 Urban Density and Human Behavior

02:07:45 Bioconservatism vs. Transhumanism

02:09:00 Transhumanism and the Unknown Future

02:12:53 Understanding Unseen Forces

02:15:11 The Quest for Understanding#evolutionarypsychology , #civilization, #feminism, #sociology, #anthropology, #culturewars, #birthrates, #psychology, #society, #population, #decline, #history, #civilizations, #future #philosophypodcast , #longformpodcast ABOUS US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities.