This View of Life

What if your neighborhood is quietly shaping your stress levels, immune system, and trust in others? In this episode, David Sloan Wilson talks with David McAleavey, Amy Clair, Blair Gross, and Rick O'Gorman about how environmental cues – such as order, greenery, and decay – act as signals to our brains and bodies. From the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress to the Social Baseline Theory, we explore why where you live affects how you feel, think, and connect. Tune in to see your environment through a whole new lens. Builds on this TVOL article.

Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than most of us can think about it—but few of its creators understand evolution itself. Venture capitalist Peter Fenton joins evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson for a wide-ranging conversation about how evolution and artificial intelligence might shape each other. Fenton, a central figure in the AI startup world and a lifelong student of philosophy, brings a unique lens to technology. Together, they explore how the principles of variation, selection, and replication—the core of evolutionary theory—can guide AI's growth toward cooperation and cultural progress rather than self-destruction. The discussion moves from Fenton's personal journey to a larger argument: understanding evolution isn't just for biology anymore—it's essential for building the future.

Nick Jordan, an agroecology expert at the University of Minnesota, and Whitney Clark, Executive Director of Friends of the Mississippi River, discuss the Forever Green Initiative. They explore the importance of crop diversification and continuous living cover to enhance Midwestern agriculture. The duo delve into the necessity of holistic systems for new crop development, share success stories like winter camelina, and emphasize cross-sector collaboration for environmental and economic sustainability.

In a fascinating discussion, Carlo Maley, a world expert on cancer through an evolutionary lens, and his son Vaughn Aktipis-Maley delve into blending evolutionary science with fantasy storytelling. They explore how real-world biology can shape believable creatures and societies in role-playing games. The conversation highlights the importance of cooperation in fictional worlds, innovative tools for addressing social issues, and the role of interdisciplinary approaches in fostering empathy and collaborative futures through compelling narratives.

AI is no longer a distant future - it's shaping our lives right now. But what if we could design it not just to be smart, but to be good? In this powerful conversation, Cornelia Walther and evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson explore how we can build AI systems that truly serve people and the planet. They dive into the concept of Prosocial AI, technology that's designed to support human connection, equity, and environmental sustainability—and the emerging field of hybrid intelligence, where human empathy and creativity team up with AI's speed and precision. You'll hear how we can deliberately shape AI with inclusive voices, transparent practices, and a strong ethical foundation to ensure it aligns with our highest values. From development to deployment, this episode outlines a path forward: one where technology empowers communities and nurtures a healthier, fairer world. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a changemaker, or simply curious about how tech can uplift humanity, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

What if the roots of democracy run far deeper than ancient Greece or Enlightenment Europe, but back to our evolutionary origins as humans? In this thought-provoking conversation, evolutionary anthropologist Vivek Venkataraman and renowned scientist David Sloan Wilson dig into how early human societies, particularly hunter-gatherers, managed to balance individual freedom with the needs of the group. Long before constitutions and parliaments, our ancestors developed powerful, organic systems for cooperation, decision-making, and fairness. This discussion explores how evolution shaped us into an ultra-cooperative species, and what modern societies can learn from these ancient ways of living. The implications aren't just academic; they offer practical insights for strengthening both formal and grassroots democratic governance today, from local communities to global systems. Whether you're into anthropology, politics, or just curious about what it really means to live well together, this is a conversation that bridges past and future in a surprising and meaningful way.

Madhusudan Katti, an evolutionary ecologist focused on urban biodiversity, and Amitangshu Acharya, a political ecologist specializing in water governance, engage in a compelling dialogue about decolonizing ecology. They discuss how colonial worldviews have shaped environmental practices and emphasize the importance of integrating local knowledge. The conversation critiques the exclusion of marginalized communities from conservation efforts, advocating for a holistic understanding of ecology that respects both biodiversity and traditional wisdom while proposing a shift in perspectives towards environmental justice.

Originally published on September 9, 2024

Hunter-gatherer societies are fascinating in their own right and--with appropriate caution--a major source of insight about our ancestral past, stretching back to our origin as a species. Remarkably, hunter-gatherer societies also have much to teach us about modern Democratic governance. Vivek Venkataraman is an idea guide to this subject, with a background in philosophy, primatology, and human evolutionary biology, along with direct experience living with and researching indigenous people in Malaysia. Originally published January 29, 2025.

Originally published on January 8, 2025. Hunter-gatherer societies are fascinating in their own right and--with appropriate caution--a major source of insight about our ancestral past, stretching back to our origin as a species. Remarkably, hunter-gatherer societies also have much to teach us about modern Democratic governance. Vivek Venkataraman is an idea guide to this subject, with a background in philosophy, primatology, and human evolutionary biology, along with direct experience living with and researching indigenous people in Malaysia. Check out the resources, articles, and more mentioned in this conversation! 4:21 A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons By Robert M. Sapolsky ·2007 12:37 The Goodness Paradox The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution By Richard Wrangham · 2019 14:30 Hierarchy in the Forest The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior By Christopher BOEHM · 2009 14:35 and 22:41 Moral Origins The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame By Christopher Boehm · 2012 17:52 A Story of Us A New Look at Human Evolution By Lesley Newson, Peter J. Richerson · 2021 22:51 Morality from an Evolutionary Perspective with Simon Blackburn: https://www.prosocial.world/posts/morality-from-an-evolutionary-perspective-with-simon-blackburn 29:06 and 40:56 Man the Hunter Symposium 33:31 Eating Christmas in the Kalahari Richard Borshay Lee 37:23 Co-Residence Patterns in Hunter-Gatherer Societies Show Unique Human Social Structure Kim R. Hill , et al. 44:43 Variability in the organization and size of hunter-gatherer groups: Foragers do not live in small-scale societies 46:28 The Evolution of Subjective Commitment to Groups: A Tribal Instincts Hypothesis Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd, 2011 48:23 Human social organization during the Late Pleistocene: Beyond the nomadic-egalitarian model Manvir Singh and Luke Glowacki, 2022 50:20 The Dawn of Everything A New History of Humanity By David Graeber, David Wengrow · 2021 57:19 Society Against the State: Essays in Political Anthropology by Pierre Clastres, 1987