Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast)

Annie Wertz, a Professor of Psychology at UCSB, shares her groundbreaking research on infants' understanding of plants and the role of social learning in their interactions. She discusses how babies navigate their environment using social cues to assess which plants are safe or toxic, revealing an intricate cognitive process. Wertz critiques traditional views on cognitive modularity, emphasizing the evolutionary aspects of learning and survival strategies. The conversation highlights the deeper emotional connections humans have with plants and the importance of hands-on learning in fostering positive relationships with nature.

Pat Barclay (Guelph) joins us to discuss his work solving the mysteries of the evolution of cooperation. Pat is a wonderful human being and an exceptional scientist, whose work is at the forefront of understanding how and why we solve the problem of cooperation as a species.  More about Pat Barclay:  http://patbarclay.com/  More about David Pinsof:  https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/ https://www.kremslab.com/people   More about Dave Pietraszewski:  https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski  

Why would a mind ever be delusional or depressed, and can we understand these as functional or maladaptive outcomes? Why do humans take drugs, and why do plants make them in the first place? (And why might the answer to the second question also answer the first?) Join us on a fun, wide-ranging conversation with guest Ed Hagen (Washington State, Vancouver) one of evolutionary psychology’s most encyclopedic minds.    More about Ed Hagen: https://anthro.vancouver.wsu.edu/people/hagen/ https://blog.edhagen.net/   Evolutionary Psychology FAQ: https://grasshoppermouse.github.io/evpsychfaq/   More about David Pinsof:  https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/ https://www.kremslab.com/people   More about Dave Pietraszewski:  https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski

Cristina Moya, an anthropology professor at UC Davis, dives into her research on ethnolinguistic group boundaries in Peru. She discusses why people cling to bizarre conspiracy beliefs and how these beliefs forge group loyalty. The conversation explores cultural evolution's impact on social dynamics, highlighting the intricacies of identity and group affiliation. Moya sheds light on the role of charisma in leadership and the importance of diverse perspectives in academia, linking these topics to greater understanding of human behavior and belonging.

Guest Brenda Bowser (CalState Fullerton) recounts a life spent studying conflict and politics in Canambo, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with her late husband and colleague John Q. Patton. Brenda shares first and second hand accounts of incredible events (including death by phantasm), and how she thinks about status, violence, and conflict, and how these relate to our connections with others. One of our most memorable episodes!    More about Brenda Bowser: https://anthro.fullerton.edu/People/BrendaBowser.aspx https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/the-amazonian-house/   More about John Q. Patton: https://news.fullerton.edu/2024/11/anthropology-scholars-students-host-symposium-to-honor-late-professor/ https://anthro.fullerton.edu/People/JohnPatton.aspx https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NkJttDkP2ZID-a7HSgUNzIfSOlMnQ51I/view?usp=drive_link   John Q. Patton Memorial Symposium: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KRRcx00RJmWI6VKcwGs8ms29lRNnP-5oY6VIPqeEkNg/edit?tab=t.0    

Egalitarianism is not what you think it is! Guest Chris Von Rueden (URichmond) has wrapped his head around what egalitarianism is and shares his insights and what he’s learned living with and studying the Tsimane, hunter horticulturists in the Bolivian rainforest. TL;DR: How to make a more just society requires respecting the complexity of our evolved psychology.  More about Chris Von Rueden: https://sites.google.com/site/chrisvonrueden/home Tsimane Health and Life History Project: https://tsimane.anth.ucsb.edu/ More about David Pinsof:  https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/ https://www.kremslab.com/people More about Dave Pietraszewski:  https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski  

Why do we appeal to disgust when we moralize, and why do we moralize what we find disgusting? Guest Deb Lieberman (UMiami) explains why our human propensity to gang up on others may be driving a lot of our moral sentiments, and why she gets uncomfortable when people appeal to disgust to argue for what is right and wrong.    More about Debra Lieberman:  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OhbXo2kAAAAJ&hl=en https://people.miami.edu/profile/820e96aef57fc53a0625013a86f7ecee https://www.amazon.com/Objection-Disgust-Morality-Debra-Lieberman/dp/0190491299   More about David Pinsof:  https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/ https://www.kremslab.com/people   More about Dave Pietraszewski:  https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski

From offering the UN insights into the psychology of terrorists to interviewing victims of war-torn Croatia, guest Michael Moncrieff has seen a lot of life and yet remains hopeful. Dave wonders aloud why we are so blind to the civilian impacts of war and David and Michael discuss predatory rationality. Michael explains the history of the drag-queen phenomenon from an evolutionary psychological perspective.    More about Michael Moncrieff:   https://www.michaelmoncrieff.com/   More about David Pinsof:    https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/   https://www.kremslab.com/people   More about Dave Pietraszewski:    https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski

Dave and David read a review of the podcast, and future guest Pat Barclay (Guelph) joins them for a second reading. Topics include why it may be good to be skeptical of high production values, and the tradeoff between focusing on basic research findings versus their broader implications.

Dave and David move beyond the controversies to explain—and give examples of—evolutionary psychology done well. Topics covered include the science of racial categorization and why we get angry. If you’re looking for examples of novel insights in evolutionary psychology, this episode is for you.    More about Evolutionary Psychology    The Center for Evolutionary Psychology “Primer”   More about David Pinsof:    https://www.everythingisbullshit.blog/   https://www.kremslab.com/people   More about Dave Pietraszewski:    https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski