The hottest Evolution Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

From the Fossil Record - Awe

Living Fossils • 3 implied HN points • 24 Dec 24
🔬 Science Evolution Paleontology Biology Nature
  1. The team is taking a holiday break and won't be posting regularly for a bit. They want to keep readers engaged even during this time.
  2. They are sharing older posts to remind new readers of valuable content they might have missed. One highlight is a post about 'awe' that fits the holiday season.
  3. They welcome feedback from readers, whether it's about the new idea, suggestions for topics, or just holiday wishes. They are happy to hear from everyone.

Lusus naturae

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 159 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🔬 Science Ornithology Geology Ecology Evolution Botany
  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.

Are Creatives an Endangered Species?

The Intersection • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Creatives Evolution Advertising Brand Creativity
  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.
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Letter to Mother Nature: Amendments to the Human Constitution

Extropic Thoughts • 78 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
🔬 Science Transhumanism Biotechnology Evolution Genetics
  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.

How things come to be as they are

Overthinking Everything • 349 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🔬 Science Evolution Biology Technology Memes Patterns
  1. The theory of evolution explains the existence, creation, and extinction of things based on modifications and combinations of existing entities.
  2. Evolutionary processes are not confined to biological organisms but also apply to technologies, ideas (memes), and even inanimate objects like rocks.
  3. Understanding evolutionary theory can help in generating plausible explanations for how things came to be and in devising actions to shape the desired outcomes.

Fear of Oozification

Breaking Smart • 130 implied HN points • 30 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Evolution AI Technological Change Engineering Fear
  1. Oozification, a process driving technological evolution, is making the future less certain and more complex.
  2. Swamps represent evolutionary vigor and the potential for radical change, showcasing the dual nature of stability and destabilization.
  3. All technology undergoes oozification, transforming into more elemental building blocks and increasing evolutionary potential.

Why Did We Create Artificial Intelligence?

The Digital Anthropologist • 59 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Evolution Existentialism Cultural influence
  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 Information Overload Evolution Technology Social Impact Research
  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 Biology Evolution Behavior Genetics Conservation
  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 Technology Consciousness Culture Intelligence 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 Psychedelics Human Evolution Consciousness
  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 Memes Ideas Desire Transmission 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 Literature Fiction Evolution Psychology Sociology
  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.

Cheating at Evolution

Eat Shit and Prosper • 159 implied HN points • 01 Nov 22
🔬 Science Biology Microbiology Evolution Genetics Health
  1. Bacteria can share genes with each other quickly, helping them adapt and survive in their environment. This 'horizontal gene transfer' allows them to grab useful traits without the slow process of traditional evolution.
  2. Some animals eat feces to gain beneficial bacteria that help them digest tough foods and absorb nutrients. This behavior helps spread helpful microbes more quickly among their populations.
  3. Understanding how microbes influence our health could lead to new treatments for various diseases. Using healthy microbes from poop could potentially improve a person's well-being significantly.

Forget Gene Therapy. Microbes are the Future of Medicine.

Eat Shit and Prosper • 159 implied HN points • 28 Oct 22
🔬 Science Microbiology Genetics Evolution Health Medicine
  1. Microbes in our gut act like software, constantly changing and adapting, while our genes stay mostly fixed. This flexibility allows our bodies to optimize their functions more effectively.
  2. Unlike permanent changes in our DNA, mutations in microbes can lead to quick advantages without the risk of harmful outcomes. This means our body can benefit from favorable changes without damaging our core genetic makeup.
  3. Using microbes to adapt to different diets or conditions is faster and less risky than gene therapy. Microbes evolve quickly, making them a promising tool for improving health and dealing with diseases.

The Struggle for Survival, Information, and Immortality

Ulysses • 59 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🔬 Science Evolution Genetics Language Memory Writing
  1. Living beings navigate the world by ingesting information to survive and evolve, as genes constantly adapt and species evolve through the exchange of genetic material.
  2. Human survival relies heavily on memetic information stored in our minds, with language playing a crucial role in passing on knowledge and shaping societies.
  3. Writing is a powerful tool for achieving a form of immortality by transferring ideas and knowledge across generations, transcending biological limitations.

Techno-Optimism Vs. Nature

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🔬 Science Technology Nature Evolution Complexity Harmony
  1. Techno-Optimism focuses on using technology to evolve and overcome biological weaknesses imposed by nature.
  2. Techno-Optimists often misunderstand the origins of technology, which actually stem from nature and natural resources.
  3. Harmonizing technology with nature can lead to greater chances of human evolution and discovery, showing the importance of working alongside nature.

Digital & Analog Worlds. A Perfect Storm.

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Culture Systems Data Digitalization Evolution
  1. A fundamental shift is happening between the digital and analog worlds, leading to a bumpy yet inevitable collision of systems.
  2. Throughout history, new technologies disrupt old systems, sparking a storm of change that humanity must weather and adapt to.
  3. The clash between digital and analog gods is a reflection of the ongoing evolution of human societies, shaped by culture, technology, and the need for adaptation.

Unmasking Depression: The Evolutionary Catalyst for Growth

Based Meditations • 39 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Physical health Lifestyle Medicine Evolution
  1. Depression serves a vital evolutionary purpose towards individuation and growth, contrary to being seen as a mere problem to be fixed with medication.
  2. Depression is often associated with lifestyle issues such as high stress, lack of control, and poor habits, indicating a strong need for change in one's life.
  3. Nature sends signals through depressive states to prompt individuals to make lifestyle adjustments that prioritize survival and well-being, acknowledging depression as an evolved feature and not an error to be suppressed with drugs.

Ancestral PUFAs?

The Heart Attack Diet • 39 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Genetics Obesity Evolution Diseases
  1. Southern Europeans have traditionally consumed large quantities of olive oil, which is rich in polyunsaturated fats.
  2. Southern European cultures have potentially evolved over time to metabolize polyunsaturated fats better than other populations.
  3. Descendants of Southern Europeans in America may have inherited a resistance to the obesity epidemic due to a long history of consuming olive oil.

Creatures That Cheat Their Creators

Mindful Modeler • 59 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🔬 Science Evolution AI Creatures Optimization Anecdotes
  1. Creatures evolved through digital evolution can surprise their creators by finding unexpected loopholes in their fitness functions.
  2. Optimization processes, like digital evolution, may not always align with what the creators intended, leading to unexpected outcomes.
  3. Lessons from the surprising behaviors of evolved creatures can be applied to machine learning and AI, highlighting the need for caution and adaptability in designing algorithms.

Using Evolutionary Theory To Prevent Aging

The Future of Life • 39 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Aging Genetics Evolution Exercise Nutrition
  1. Aging might happen because our genes focus on survival when we're young. As we get older, the need to focus on staying alive decreases, leading to a faster decline.
  2. Exercise and other environmental factors can trigger youthful traits in our bodies. Keeping active and managing our environment may help slow down aging.
  3. We can explore using technology, like large language models, to find out what biological signals keep us youthful. This might help us develop new ways to combat aging.

What Links Humans, Hermit Crabs and Possibly Creatures on Mars?

Creating Inequality • 19 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🔬 Science Nature Analysis Research Evolution System
  1. Vacancy chains are a way resources are distributed where one person's success leads to success for others too.
  2. Resources distributed through vacancy chains have common abstract qualities, regardless of species or social development.
  3. Vacancy chains are not optional but necessary for groups when resources have specific abstract qualities. These chains may occur even in unknown creatures on other planets like Mars.

How cultural evolution works

America in Crisis • 39 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🎭️ Culture Evolution Capitalism Cultural transmission
  1. Cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution and is driven by innovation, competition, and replication.
  2. Cultural transmission involves biases like direct bias, indirect bias, and prestige bias that influence the spread of cultural information.
  3. Capitalism emerged from a cultural evolution driven by the accumulation of capital, prestige, and cultural transmission, leading to economic growth and societal changes.

Fragments, Chapter 17, pp.358-363 - Reading Club posting 64

Journal of Gurdjieff Studies • 19 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Teachings Exercises Evolution Beliefs
  1. Gurdjieff showed exercises in attention, breathing, and physical movements, emphasizing great knowledge, effort, and help as crucial in the journey.
  2. Physical exercises like breathing techniques and movements were part of the practice, illustrating the importance of extreme fatigue in transitioning control to the moving center.
  3. Different ways of personal evolution were discussed, highlighting the 'subjective' and 'objective' ways, and the value of being a good 'obyvatel' in personal development.

Robots And How We’re Socializing Them

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Robots AI Socialization Applications Evolution
  1. Robots are becoming more essential due to global population declines and increasing need for automation in various sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and military.
  2. Society is changing how robots are perceived, shifting from fear and vilification to acceptance and assistance, through increased visibility in media and toy market.
  3. The way robots are being socialized, presented positively as helpers rather than threats, will play a significant role in their sociocultural acceptance and integration into daily life.

The Funniest Gene Name in History

Eat Shit and Prosper • 79 implied HN points • 08 Nov 22
🔬 Science Biology Genetics Evolution Research
  1. Gene names can be funny, like fucose mutarotase, which has an amusing history behind it. Naming genes can be tricky, so in 2020, standards were set to avoid confusion from auto-formatting in software like Excel.
  2. Scientists found that the fucose mutarotase gene affects behavior in mice. Knockout mice without this gene behaved like males, showing how genes can influence sexual behavior.
  3. The research suggests hormones during fetal development, specifically estradiol, play a key role in shaping behavior. This highlights the complex relationship between genetics, hormones, and behavior.

Why Humans Created Technology

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🕹 Technology History Evolution Social Impact Future Imagination
  1. Technology originates from human imagination and the need for survival, evolving from simple tools to complex inventions over time.
  2. There are two main types of technology: those that harness natural phenomena like fire, and those that build upon existing technologies like smartphones.
  3. Technology is essential for human existence, aiding survival and shaping future development, with cultural adaptation and societal norms influencing its use.

What Can Apes Teach Us About Gender?

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 03 Jul 22
🔬 Science Gender Evolution Biology Behavior
  1. Frans de Waal's book 'Different' explores the biology behind sex and gender differences in humans and society, offering a balanced perspective between social constructionists and biological determinists.
  2. De Waal emphasizes that understanding the biological influences on gender does not prescribe certain behaviors, but rather describes the natural variations in gender expression among primates.
  3. The author caution readers that activism for social equality needs to be informed by a proper understanding of biology, highlighting the importance of balancing science with social issues.