The hottest Evolution Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

A Theory of Everyone

Holodoxa • 119 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. A Theory of Everyone explores the idea that culture, alongside genetics, plays a significant role in human success and progress.
  2. Muthukrishna emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural evolution to address future challenges and shape human society.
  3. The decline in energy return on investment poses a threat to human civilization, and Muthukrishna proposes leveraging cultural evolution to foster innovation and cooperation.

Video: Why we Fight about Morality

Moral Understanding • 78 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Evolution
  1. Our moral convictions are based on a common harm-based moral mind inherited from our past.
  2. The threat of harm continues to shape our moral beliefs, sparking disagreements on who or what is most vulnerable and what harms are real.
  3. Finding common ground in understanding the evolution of morality can help resolve conflicts over moral differences.

12. Why You Should Read Fiction

Insight Axis • 138 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
📚 Literature Evolution
  1. Fiction helps extract meaningful experiences and can often be more 'true' than reality.
  2. Reading fiction improves skills like remembering characters and history, which are valuable in non-fiction and technical writing.
  3. Language evolved for storytelling, making fiction a crucial part of human communication and creativity.

The Myth of Stagnation

Extropic Thoughts • 137 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. The claim that longer life leads to boredom and stagnation is a narrow-minded view.
  2. Distinguishing between seeking immortal life and seeking indefinitely long life is crucial.
  3. Humans have the potential to continuously evolve, innovate, and avoid stagnation in the face of limitless possibilities.

Sex in Biology Signature Campaign

Heterodox STEM • 156 implied HN points • 21 Feb 25
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Some biology societies have stated that sex is not simply male or female, which has caused confusion.
  2. A group of biologists has written a letter saying that sex should actually be defined by gamete type, meaning there are two sexes.
  3. They are asking other biologists to sign this letter to support their view and clarify the definition of sex.
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The Economics of Altruism

David Friedman’s Substack • 179 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Evolution
  1. Altruism can be understood in economic terms by suggesting that people might care about others' well-being as part of their own happiness. This means that helping others can also benefit the helper.
  2. The 'Rotten Kid Theorem' explains that even selfish behavior in children can lead them to act in ways that are good for everyone, as they understand their actions affect their parent's support.
  3. Altruism may have evolved as a way to help groups survive better. When one person helps others, it can create better cooperation for the whole group, making it more successful over time.

Current status: it’s complicated

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 789 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Human evolutionary science has shifted from complex models to explain the intricacies of our origins.
  2. Advances in genetics, DNA analysis, and paleoanthropology have revolutionized our understanding of human evolution.
  3. The concept of a single, simple origin of modern humans from Africa has evolved into a more complex and rich tapestry of multiple populations and dynamics.

A novel take on group differences in test scores. Part I

America in Crisis • 119 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Culture plays a crucial role in group differences in test scores and IQ measurements, alongside genetics and environment.
  2. IQ scores are influenced by both genetic and cultural components, with culturally-loaded tests showing higher heritability.
  3. Over time, group differences in IQ can be attributed more to the cultural component rather than the genetic one, with national IQ averages possibly rising with economic growth.

How To Understand Human Behavior (Part 3/4)

Living Fossils • 12 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. Human behavior is shaped by both the situation and the individual. The situation often carries more weight in determining how someone acts.
  2. Culture plays a big role in influencing behavior, but it's just another part of the situation. It's not separate from other environmental factors but integrated into how we respond to different scenarios.
  3. To understand human behavior better, we can group actions based on their underlying goals. Many different behaviors can aim for the same outcome, which helps clarify why people act the way they do.

Links for 2023-02-17

Axis of Ordinary • 117 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Building AGI for law to assist lawyers with complex legal questions and unique work products.
  2. Discovery about mammalian brain development and evolution in relation to neocortex.
  3. Frontiers of AI-powered experimentation at the convergence of multiple technologies.

An Enigmatic Beast

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 219 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Mountain goats have an interesting history of naming, starting from their scientific name, Oreamnos americanus, which links them to mountains and lambs.
  2. Despite extensive research, scientists still struggle to figure out mountain goats' closest relatives, making them a bit of a mystery in the animal kingdom.
  3. There's a growing recognition of the value of traditional ecological knowledge, especially from Indigenous peoples, which can greatly enhance our understanding of animals like mountain goats.

How to Genetically Influence the Future Without Having Kids

Parrhesia • 456 implied HN points • 09 Dec 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Beliefs and ideologies are influenced by genetics, affecting the future through who has children.
  2. Changes in fertility patterns due to ideologies can impact the prevalence of certain traits in future generations.
  3. Advocating for genetic enhancement technologies can shape future generations' traits even if you choose not to have children.

Birds being other birds

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 20 May 24
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Some birds, like the Stellers jay and raven, can imitate the sounds of other birds, which can be surprising and confusing. It's interesting to see how these smaller birds can mimic larger ones.
  2. Birds like mockingbirds and parrots are known for their ability to mimic various sounds, sometimes up to 200 different ones in their lifetime.
  3. Only a few species, including humans, parrots, and songbirds, can learn and repeat sounds they hear, which is quite rare in the animal kingdom. This ability is also linked to the capacity to dance to music!

Artificial Intelligence and the Noosphere

Nonzero Newsletter • 609 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Artificial intelligence is seen as the crystallization of the noosphere, evolving from the biosphere.
  2. AI viewed from a noospheric perspective can help orient us, define our mission, and provide a philosophical framework for our moral evolution.
  3. The convergence of AI and the noosphere connects to a vision of a unified global community through political justice and universal love.

My Little Cockroach

Banana Peel Pirouette • 79 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Cockroaches have been around for millions of years and are found on every continent except Antarctica, adapted to urban environments due to global commerce.
  2. Humans have a unique disgust towards cockroaches, though other pests like mice and pigeons coexist with us and are even celebrated in popular culture.
  3. Our fear and loathing towards cockroaches stem from the way they challenge our perceptions of hygiene and control over the environment, showing how closely intertwined our lives are with these creatures.

Dialogues on Psychophysical Harmony, Part 2

Going Awol • 159 implied HN points • 28 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy Evolution
  1. Merely positing that the psychophysical laws are necessary doesn't predict psychophysical harmony - a theory needs to predict the actual data to be less surprising.
  2. The theory that the laws of physics are necessary and give rise to specific outcomes, like psychophysical harmony, can make the theory vanishingly improbable due to low prior probabilities.
  3. Evolutionary theory addressing psychophysical harmony might overlook the possibility that it could have not been selected for due to limitations in psychophysical laws.

Top Links 374 The new armaments boom, how to build places for people to live, Eswanti's ship register & Marx to Darwin

Chartbook • 357 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Evolution
  1. The post highlights topics like the new armaments industry, urban planning, and Eswatini's ship registry.
  2. The Chartbook Newsletter by Adam Tooze offers valuable insights and content on various subjects.
  3. The post includes links to intriguing content, like a piece on Yozo Hamaguchi's art and a paid subscriber section.

Are Stars Conscious?

Secretum Secretorum • 707 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Some scientists challenge the traditional definition of life, suggesting that stars exhibit life-like behaviors such as metabolism and reproduction.
  2. There are radical theories proposing that stars possess consciousness and engage in purposeful actions, influencing life on Earth.
  3. The concept of cosmological natural selection suggests that black holes may play a role in giving rise to new universes, embodying evolutionary principles at a cosmic scale.

Ancestral Health vs. Antagonistic Pleiotropy?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 319 implied HN points • 23 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Evolution
  1. Underestimating the influence of natural selection in promoting longevity in later ages over an extensive period of evolutionary time.
  2. Misconception that adaptations to foods being antagonistically pleiotropic implies the foods themselves are more likely to hurt longevity.
  3. Conflating genetic adaptations to foods with the foods themselves, leading to a faulty conclusion that artificially manipulated foods are more likely to benefit longevity than ancestral foods.

The Mating/Reproduction Game

In My Tribe • 546 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. In evolutionary terms, our behaviors are strategies for reproduction that interact with the cultural environment.
  2. On average, in a society with equal male and female numbers, men and women will have the same number of sex partners.
  3. Social and cultural factors influence how individuals may present themselves in terms of mating strategies.

Lusus naturae

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 159 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Rockpeckers are birds that create holes in rocks and are important for understanding geology. They use their unique feeding habits to extract silica from plants, which helps them carve out these holes.
  2. Scientists are exploring the connections between rockpeckers and other birds like rock wrens. There are still many questions about their behavior and nesting habits, with research ongoing to learn more.
  3. Interestingly, rockpeckers share a similar hole-drilling ability with piddock clams, highlighting the idea of parallel evolution. This shows that different species can develop similar traits to survive in their environments.

Embryo selection and our Stone Age psychology

Parrhesia • 494 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Selection for traits like emotional intelligence can enhance human flourishing
  2. Clinical traits are viewed as acceptable for embryo selection as they reduce debilitating conditions
  3. Evolutionary mismatch shows our psychology hasn't caught up with modern advancements

Are Creatives an Endangered Species?

The Intersection • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. The evolution of creatives has moved from storytellers to hackers, designers & engineers, to business owners, highlighting the need to adapt and build on previous characteristics.
  2. In the evolving landscape, brands need a clear stance on issues and can learn from examples like Patagonia's impactful message that highlights the importance of having a distinct point of view.
  3. Creativity is no longer exclusive to traditional creatives as AI and digital tools democratize the ability to create, urging creatives to find new ways to utilize their skills in the changing industry.

Letter to Mother Nature: Amendments to the Human Constitution

Extropic Thoughts • 78 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. The essay discusses amending the human constitution to overcome limitations like aging and death.
  2. It proposes expanding human perceptual abilities and enhancing intelligence through biotechnology and neural improvements.
  3. The amendments aim to move humanity towards a posthuman condition, integrating technology into individuals for unprecedented innovation.

AI and the Noosphere, Part II

Nonzero Newsletter • 440 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. AI is rooted organically in human history and the quest for advancement.
  2. The evolution of technology and the noosphere reflect expressions of human nature.
  3. Collaboration, competition, and human inventiveness are crucial in driving progress and innovation.

Why Do We Laugh?

Pryor Questions • 522 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. Laughter is a physiological response to humor involving various body responses like facial muscle movements and disrupted respiratory systems.
  2. Humans laugh to create social bonds, show friendliness, and signal group cohesion.
  3. There are multiple theories explaining why we find things funny, such as relief theory, superiority theory, and incongruity theory, influenced by factors like age and cultural differences.

From the archives: The strain of civilisation

The Strategy Toolkit • 372 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Technology has significant effects on language evolution and communication, impacting knowledge transmission and cultural dynamics.
  2. The adaptability and flexibility of languages like Chinese and English contribute to their success and widespread adoption.
  3. Understanding the power dynamics of language, literacy, and communication is crucial for effective negotiation and societal progress.

Why Did We Create Artificial Intelligence?

The Digital Anthropologist • 59 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Evolution
  1. One possible reason we created Artificial Intelligence could be our fear of being alone as a species, leading us to seek connections with AI and even animals.
  2. Another reason could stem from our existential fear of species extinction, where AI may be seen as a means to counter the mortality of humanity, although projecting human traits onto machines may be flawed.
  3. Understanding the motivations behind creating AI can help us navigate its challenges and potentials, shaping a future where AI complements human existence and connectivity.

Humanity: Collective Information Overload?

The Digital Anthropologist • 59 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Humans are facing unprecedented global information flows, possibly leading to collective cognitive overload.
  2. Technology has drastically increased our connectivity and information exchange, contributing to the feeling of being overwhelmed.
  3. As a species, we are navigating through a new era where the constant influx of information requires us to find ways to manage and offload the overload.

The Last Great Naturalist

Holodoxa • 99 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Life science research was pioneered by naturalists who explored and documented nature, influencing key scientific paradigms like evolution and genetics.
  2. E.O. Wilson, a revered naturalist and scientist, contributed significantly to fields such as myrmecology, sociobiology, and conservation.
  3. Wilson's work sparked debate in the scientific community, particularly around sociobiology, which explores the genetic basis of social behavior in animals, including humans.

Uploading Our Brains. A Reality Check.

The Digital Anthropologist • 59 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. Uploading our brains is a concept being explored, but its feasibility is uncertain. The journey may lead to advancements in treating brain-related diseases like dementia.
  2. Culture heavily influences the acceptance of new technologies like brain uploading. It challenges fundamental beliefs about human identity and the soul.
  3. The evolution towards technologies like brain uploading and AI reflects a shift towards augmenting cognitive abilities, marking an era of the Cognitive Age.

Ape to Einstein? Exploring The Stoned Ape Theory

Tripsitter • 59 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
🔬 Science Evolution
  1. The Stoned Ape Theory suggests that early humans consuming psychoactive substances like magic mushrooms led to advancements in creative thinking, language development, and societal structure.
  2. American ethnobotanist Terence McKenna proposed the theory that psychoactive mushrooms catalyzed rapid brain development in early ancestors, leading to higher levels of consciousness.
  3. While the Stoned Ape Theory is intriguing, it lacks scientific evidence and faces criticism for oversimplifying the complexities of human evolution and consciousness.

11. The Magic of Mimesis and Memes

Insight Axis • 59 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. Replicating memes requires creativity and the ability to extract the core idea from transmitted words or behaviors.
  2. Errors in meme replication are not purely mistakes but can include parts of the source person being transmitted along with the meme.
  3. Compelling memes shape desires and drive imitation, creating a connection between memetics and mimesis.

Story: Adaptation or Spandrel?

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution
  1. Humans rely on stories to make sense of the world, whether derived from reality or imagination, and storytelling may have played a vital role in human survival and development.
  2. Storytelling has a unique structure that simplifies the complexity of life and allows for the synchronization of countless minds, shaping societies, movements, and institutions.
  3. The debate on whether storytelling is an adaptation or a spandrel is significant in understanding human nature, with arguments for both sides pointing to storytelling's impact on cognitive functions, social cohesion, and group dynamics.