In an article from the Washington Post we learn that the United States has slipped in the ranking for life expectancy in the world to number 42. Douglas Adams aside, this is not a good thing. The article lists a good many factors contributing to this fact, which seems paradoxical…
Despite the rhyming title, this is a serious topic. But not always a controversial topic . . . Sociobiology is an un-controversial field of study as long as we stick to studying animals other than human animals. Here's how John Alcock describes sociobiology in The Triumph of Sociobiology (2001): "Genetic differences help explain why people develop differences in at least some aspects of their behavior." (Page 53). Here's another way to put it: "Sociobiologists want to know the evolved function or purpose of whatever aspect of social behavior they are studying." Alcock is a prolific and highly respected biologist who teaches at the Arizona State University. His textbook, Animal Behavior, is currently on its eighth edition. I used his textbook when I took a class on animal behavior a few years ago. It is a terrific resource, highly organized and thoroughly researched. [More . . .]
World-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal is tired of reading the nonsense written by conservatives who are working hard to do the same thing to bonobos that they have been doing to climate change: change the facts to fit the politics. Why are conservatives embarrassed by the bonobo? Is it, perhaps, because…
Are you sure you want to be "free"? Freedom is such a strange concept. I've never understood it in the context of personal decision-making. Americans claim to love "freedom," but how much freedom can you stand? Freedom implies occurrences that are unhinged from naturalistic laws. Freedom implies a mechanism that…
Unless you learn to let go of your materialist cravings things, that is. On Sunday, The New York Times published an article called "The Millionaires Who Don't Feel Rich." in this article, you will meet lots of millionaires from Silicon Valley. They have net worth measuring in the millions…