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NEW! Evolutionary Tidbit of the Month
In seemingly unrelated languages from every corner of the globe, the word corresponding to "mother" contains a sound like /ma/, as in "amma," "mama," or "ima." Father words tend to have the /pa/ or /ba/ sound, like "appa," "abba," "baba," or "papa." A discarded hypothesis held that the words for "mother" and "father" had remained largely unchanged from a proto-language from which all modern languages evolved.
The currently favored explanation is that these are the first sounds infants are able to make, with /m/ being slightly easier (and thus developing sooner) than /p/ or /b/, explaining why the primary caretaker (usually the mother) tends to be referred to by words which sound like "mama" in languages all the world over.
Northern New England Values and Evolutionary Psychology: The Granite State Rocked
Several years ago, when David Zehr, an academic dean at Plymouth State University in upstate NH, offered to host NEEPS one year – some of us thought this was almost too good to be true. That would be the folks … Continue reading
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The Evolutionary Importance of Mixed-Age Learning – Lessons from a Church Basement
So in spite of how ridiculous Kramer appeared when he famously beat out the karate competition consisting of a bunch of 7-year olds (Seinfeld allusion – you had to be there …), I’ve joined my daughter Megan (11) and son … Continue reading
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So if you don’t live in a cave, you’ve likely run into EvoS Journal Editor Rose Chang’s newest research – blurbed all over the news, including WINS 1010 (one of NYC’s largest news radio stations), MSNBC, Reuters, Huffington Post, and … Continue reading
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Immobilized Caimans, Toxic Plants, and Alternative Theories – Dinosaur Exctinction Revived
Armed with the power of evolutionary theory, you can study and come to understand just about anything. Darwin was smart – but his genius resided not in his brain, but in his theory – which was even smarter than he … Continue reading
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Darwin’s Bridges of 2011: New Paltz’s EvoS Seminar Series Continues
Darwin’s Bridges of 2011: New Paltz’s EvoS Seminar Series Continues February 7, 2011 will mark the kickoff to SUNY New Paltz’s fourth annual Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) Seminar Series. Can.you.believe.it? Since the first talk in our 2008 series, given by renowned … Continue reading
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Turf Wars in Academia (or the Feasibility of Being a Social Psychologist and an Evolutionary Psychologist at the Same Time!)
Turf Wars in Academia (or the Feasibility of Being a Social Psychologist and an Evolutionary Psychologist at the Same Time!) ON ACADEMIC TURF WARS AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY Turf wars in academia? To any academic, this is like asking if there … Continue reading
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The World Loses an Exemplary Evolutionist: Remembering Maureen O’Sullivan
I end with a phrase that doesn’t seep into the evolutionist lexicon very frequently: God Bless you Maureen O’Sullivan. Continue reading
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Darwin’s Lessons for the Graduates
Hear that robin singing in the morning? Smell the white blossoms on the natural rose bushes near the woods? See the turkey vultures soaring high – in communicative harmony with one another? Note this: The same forces accounting for these examples account for everything you see when you look in a mirror. Your are part of this magnificent natural world. This insight is, for my money, what makes Darwinism a truly spiritual approach to the world.
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Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and the Importance of Adaptation Implementation in Evolutionary Psychology
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and the Importance of Adaptation Implementation in Evolutionary Psychology I’m not going to lie. If you follow my work at all, hopefully this isn’t a surprise – I try to stay honest – it’s a way … Continue reading
