Category Archives: Evolution and Psychology
Creating a Whine
Overview: Whines are perceived as annoying vocalizations, and they are supreme at distracting listeners. Their use in attachment relationships just might have a surprising origin. The sound of a crying newborn can evoke many responses in a listener – most … Continue reading
Tantrums, Enough Un-said!
If my son isn’t possessed by a tiny caveperson, what makes him lose his cool so rapidly and monstrously? Continue reading
A-Roid
Before moving forward into deeper, more philosophical commentaries on the role of testosterone in shaping world history, I want to make a simple comparison. I’m not sure how many people reading this blog are Yankee fans, nor how many are … Continue reading
Worried about (not) Breastfeeding
Last week I was helping a student who had questions on human physiology. Jenn was very comfortable with the details of physiology—the chemicals, cell types, processes—but she was having trouble seeing the forest for the trees. As we talked, it … Continue reading
Everyday Evolution: Exploring the Way Daily Events Illustrate Our Evolved Psychology
For my entire life I have been deeply intrigued by the human species, and why not? We are brilliantly pragmatic, finding ways and means to conquer every ecology the planet has to offer. We are constantly improving technology to become … Continue reading
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
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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Natural Born Mothers?
Maternal Instinct is still very much in the U.S. vernacular, but if mothering is so inborn, why does it seem to require so much instruction to do it well?
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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