Wood From Eden

Wood From Eden explores the intersections of evolutionary psychology, societal norms, and human behavior. It delves into topics like fertility rates, patriarchal structures, the philosophy of happiness, and the impact of modern technologies and economies on human societies. The substack also touches on current events, historical analyses, and personal improvement through evolutionary psychology.

Evolutionary Psychology Societal Norms Human Behavior Fertility Rates Patriarchal Structures Philosophy of Happiness Impact of Modern Technologies Economic Influences on Society Historical Analysis Personal Improvement

The hottest Substack posts of Wood From Eden

And their main takeaways

Slut-onomics: How the scarcity of sluts tears the social fabric apart

32 HN points • 12 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Society Gender Relationships Sexuality Feminism
  1. The availability of casual sex has always been uneven among men, with only a minority having most access.
  2. Slut-shaming in the past may have helped some men downplay their conquests, reducing competition and maintaining peace.
  3. The shift from categorizing women as 'good' or 'bad' to grading them on a scale has intensified competition and made rejections more personal.

Violent enough to stand still

444 HN points • 19 Jan 23
  1. Human societies did not develop much in 300,000 years due to male reproductive greed and lack of resources.
  2. War among the Yanomamö was primarily driven by conflicts over women, rather than resources.
  3. The Yanomamö's violent culture and focus on reproductive success helped maintain a pre-Malthusian condition in their society.

Trial by a lying media

384 implied HN points • 11 Feb 23
  1. Media can sometimes lie to shape a story.
  2. Public often seeks entertainment from news, even if it involves lies.
  3. Challenging established narratives can be difficult and media may resist change.

The history of Montaillou

384 implied HN points • 05 Feb 23
  1. France has a rich history with extensive written records, making it a treasure trove for historical insights.
  2. The Albigensian Crusade in Occitania sheds light on the power struggles and religious conflicts in Medieval France.
  3. Life in the village of Montaillou reveals surprising details about social dynamics, relationships, and daily living in the Middle Ages.
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The anti-blog blog post

384 implied HN points • 14 Dec 22
  1. Three common types of blogs: successful, started but never written, shut down due to disinterest.
  2. Books and traditional media offer more value and quality content compared to most blogs.
  3. Blogs often prioritize authentic opinions over well-researched information, attracting readers seeking connection.

Dressed for success, gorilla and whore style

336 implied HN points • 05 Jan 23
  1. Men in power wear suits to symbolize physical strength, regardless of their actual appearance.
  2. Women in power dress in a way that symbolizes sexiness, focusing on hourglass shapes and suggestive clothing.
  3. Female executives and prostitutes often wear similar high-heeled shoes to convey a sense of manipulation from a position of physical weakness.

Amish in space

288 implied HN points • 29 Jan 23
  1. Space colonization can align with human nature and traditions
  2. Working to reshape the world to fit human instincts is essential
  3. Space expansion offers a path to peaceful evolution and endless growth

Overcoming male reproductive greed

384 implied HN points • 04 Nov 22
  1. Geographic conditions and population density influence the development of societies.
  2. Cultural evolution involves a dynamic between individual and group selection.
  3. Overcoming male reproductive greed is crucial for the advancement of civilizations.

The ambivalent nature of female desire

336 implied HN points • 26 Nov 22
  1. There is ambiguity and debate around female desire, with conflicting views on what women truly want
  2. Female sexuality is influenced by evolutionary history, where females faced challenges like infanticide and paternity uncertainty
  3. Human females may have retained old ape-like desires but evolved inhibitions to navigate modern societal mating dynamics

A letter from Hitler

288 implied HN points • 28 Dec 22
  1. The letter from Hitler to Daladier requested an honorable peace, showing a different side of Hitler.
  2. The similarities between Hitler's letter and Putin's actions in Ukraine are striking, both blaming the invaded for the conflict.
  3. Lessons from history show the importance of diplomacy and consequences of escalating conflicts.

Why autism exists

432 implied HN points • 29 Aug 22
  1. High social abilities may hinder original thinking and creativity.
  2. Geniusness may require a lack of social abilities.
  3. Autism could be nature's way of fostering curiosity and skepticism towards social conventions.

Paid content: The philosophy of keeping tomcats

96 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
  1. The post is about the philosophy of keeping tomcats.
  2. It is a paid content for subscribers only.
  3. The author promised cute cat pictures for subscribers.

Old tricks in NewSpace

240 implied HN points • 23 Jan 23
  1. NewSpace refers to young private companies competing in the space industry, making space exciting again.
  2. Old space industry practices centered around NASA's control, but the rise of private companies like SpaceX has brought changes.
  3. Lowering launch costs is a significant achievement of NewSpace, but the demand for space access and manufacturing space-worthy equipment remain challenges.

In love with the state

288 implied HN points • 09 Nov 22
  1. The Swedish Theory of Love suggests that financial independence is crucial for true love.
  2. Scandinavian child protection services can be problematic due to high trust in government workers.
  3. Blindly trusting experts and government actions can lead to questionable decision-making.

Why do women have breasts?

432 implied HN points • 18 May 22
  1. Some theories about why women have breasts include attraction, fat indication, and fertility signals.
  2. The MILF hypothesis suggests that breasts mislead males about a female's child-bearing status.
  3. Breasts may have evolved to indicate self-reliance in females and successful child rearing, rather than fertility.

Is feminism caused by a lack of male investment?

240 implied HN points • 15 Nov 22
  1. Theories suggest that feminism may be influenced by a lack of male investment in women and their children.
  2. Historical data and observations point to a correlation between gender ratios, male investment, and feminist movements.
  3. Women's pursuit of equal rights and independence may stem from compensating for perceived lack of male investment in child-rearing.

Hexagonal cities

288 implied HN points • 19 Sep 22
  1. Roman city planning favored square grids, which have been the norm for centuries.
  2. Hexagonal street grids are more efficient at maximizing built-up area compared to streets.
  3. Hexagonal cities have advantages like local climate benefits and improved traffic safety, but face challenges like navigation and building costs.

Do babies die from sleeping on their tummies?

192 implied HN points • 30 Dec 22
  1. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is related to sleeping on the tummy and has decreased with the recommended practice of back sleeping for babies.
  2. It is unclear why babies die from SIDS, with factors like suffocation, overheating, infections, and genetic vulnerabilities being proposed causes.
  3. Breathing monitors for babies are not recommended by governments, but studies show they may have the potential to decrease SIDS rates, highlighting a need for further research.

Asteroid mining for fun and profit

144 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🔬 Science Solar Power
  1. Mining asteroids for resources is feasible due to the low delta-v requirement for traveling to them.
  2. Asteroids contain valuable metals and minerals like platinum, but the challenge lies in bringing them back to Earth profitably.
  3. Producing goods in space, like water and solar mirrors, for use in space markets can be a profitable alternative to exporting resources back to Earth.

In defense of daylight saving time

192 implied HN points • 29 Oct 22
  1. Daylight saving time is about making the most of daylight by adjusting clocks for better utilization.
  2. Studies show disadvantages of clock transitions but benefits like fewer accidents and increased physical activity are also evident.
  3. Mitigation strategies can address the negative impacts of clock adjustments, allowing for a balance between standard time and daylight saving time.

A climatologist’s view of climate change

240 implied HN points • 22 Aug 22
  1. Climate scientists in Sweden are mostly meteorologists, not climatologists.
  2. Studying past climates involves methods like tree-ring analysis, sediment core drilling, and oxygen isotope analysis.
  3. Climate change impacts are not evenly spread globally, with some regions experiencing more benefit than harm.

The evolutionary success of male homosexuality

192 implied HN points • 04 Oct 22
  1. Homosexual men throughout history have still managed to procreate by marrying women.
  2. Homosexual men may face challenges with sexual arousal, but parenting ability is crucial for evolutionary success.
  3. Social norms and competition have historically led many homosexual men to marry women for procreation.

My long goodbye to Windows XP

164 HN points • 01 Nov 22
  1. Author shares personal journey of using Windows XP despite its outdated nature.
  2. Despite security risks, author has not experienced hacking due to their usage habits.
  3. Author transitions from Windows XP to Windows 7 after facing compatibility issues with modern software.

The environmental causes of myopia - a case study

288 implied HN points • 25 Apr 22
  1. Time spent outdoors during childhood is negatively associated with myopia
  2. Looking far away often may help prevent myopia
  3. Increasing outdoor time but not looking far away may not halt myopia progression

The curious case of Israeli fertility

144 implied HN points • 02 Dec 22
  1. Fertility rates are dropping globally, especially in Western countries, but Israel stands out with a high fertility rate.
  2. Israel's high fertility rate is attributed to a significant number of orthodox Jews and societal norms encouraging large families, not just social policies.
  3. Despite Israel's high fertility rate, it does not have exceptionally generous social policies compared to other OECD countries.

IQ and intelligence: A bifurcated tail

288 implied HN points • 13 Apr 22
  1. High IQ individuals are often specialists in certain areas, like puzzle-solving or pattern detection.
  2. Just because a computer has a high IQ in terms of pattern recognition, it doesn't mean it can think like a human.
  3. IQ tests and intelligence can show correlation but do not always indicate the same level of capability in humans and computers.

Primates of Manhattan

240 implied HN points • 19 Jun 22
  1. Encouraging people to write about themselves can significantly increase the body of knowledge in the world.
  2. Social dynamics in wealthy communities can resemble those seen in teenage cliques, highlighting behavior similarities between teenagers and high-status adults.
  3. The competitive and superficial behavior observed among some high-status individuals may be influenced by their non-working status and focus on social issues.

Up where we belong

192 implied HN points • 01 Sep 22
  1. Gerard K. O'Neill promoted three-dimensional thinking in space colonization
  2. O'Neill envisioned the use of lunar resources for building space habitats
  3. Space colonization based on O'Neill's ideas could offer solutions to Earth's energy problems

Hell is other people - Why individualism shrinks the next generation

24 HN points • 22 Nov 23
  1. Humans evolved to take care of children cooperatively, leading to low fertility rates in smaller household sizes.
  2. The nuclear family became the norm because humans have a natural tendency to both need and conflict with each other.
  3. The ideal of mothers compensating for lack of love by being with their children all the time is flawed; postpartum depression and declining fertility rates suggest otherwise.

The 10 000 Year Explosion - The book that shook evolutionary psychology (or should have)

240 implied HN points • 09 Jun 22
  1. Evolution continues to shape human psychology with significant changes occurring in just a few generations.
  2. The book 'The 10,000 Year Explosion' challenges the traditional view that human minds were created solely on the African savanna.
  3. There is controversy around the implications of ongoing genetic evolution, including the possibility of differences in IQ-coding genes among human groups.