This View of Life
Magazine

Did private property invite agriculture?

The effects of the presence of a companion animal on behavior and attitudes in the workplace.My talk is about two studies that deal with “mismatch.” The basic idea behind mismatch theory is that aspects of the modern environment are incongruent (mismatched) with our psychology and physiology, which are more adapted to the environment in which we evolved—the savannas of East Africa.

Far from “poisoning everything”, religions often plays an integral role in regulating the practical aspects of life.Religion puzzles the nonbeliever in part because it seems to lack utility. How can belief in supernatural agents and costly practices such as ritual sacrifice produce practical benefits?

Religious scholar claims that "secular societies climbed the ladder of religion, and then kicked it away.“

Attraction is more than physical traits. Find out what else counts.Attraction is more than physical traits. Find out what else counts.

From extortion to to generosity, evolution in the prisoner's dilemmaThe eternal struggle between cooperative and selfish social strategies takes place on the playing field of theoretical models in addition to the real world. The prisoner's dilemma is a favorite model for exploring advantages and pitfalls of cooperation.

Religious rituals are effective because they are seemingly defying rationality!In 2003, Richard Sosis and Eric Bressler achieved a breakthrough by applying the “costly signaling theory”. According to this theory, religious rituals are able to promote intragroup cooperation exactly by bringing up purely or partially non-rational behaviors – signaling to onlookers that true believers are at hand.