Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast)

The hosts dive into the controversies of evolutionary psychology, tackling complex subjects like feminism and sexism. They discuss common misconceptions and the political implications of misunderstandings in the field. The conversation shifts to cultural dynamics and how information evolves through interpersonal communication. Group dynamics reveal the innate needs that influence social behavior, while a critique of gender disparities in leadership highlights societal views and interests. Ultimately, they advocate for a nuanced understanding of human nature.

Co-host Dave Pietraszewski explains how he learned to love evolutionary psychology despite hating it at first, why attending basement cults as a child in upstate New York wasn’t all bad, really, and why he thinks understanding the human mind will require eventually understanding the evolutionary psychology of psychologists.    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   Things mentioned this Episode:  Dave & Annie Wertz’s Modularity Paper Planetary Regression Dave’s How our intuitive psychology shapes our science paper Wayne Wu's paper on attention Music by David Pinsof Produced by Naomi Monahan-Miller  

David Pinsof dives into evolutionary psychology, sharing his journey and the debate on whether it's credible. The discussion explores our complicated relationship with status-seeking and how it affects social interactions. They analyze dominance hierarchies in humans and primates, revealing unsettling truths about power. The nuances of collective action and its moral narratives highlight the tension between self-interest and altruism. Plus, they critique the educational system's failure to nurture creativity, emphasizing the need for systemic change.