Does this book take describe evolutionary science in a modern way? Or is it the old-fashioned one that you often read about in Evo psych? Like the developmental evolutionary perspective of biology?
I have noticed that discussions in Evo psych often revolve around the more classical evolutionary biology, pre 1960 and so on. No or few discussions of how gene expressions, epigenetics, development over time, stochastic variation and so play a role in human evolution. I am going to read this book though. Seems very fascinating.
Hi Tom, thanks for pointing out your review. Thought-provoking take. As indicated in my review, I enjoyed Michael's book, but I found your criticism engaging. Thanks also for reaching out—it gave me a chance to learn more about your research, which I found compelling! Despite our differing views here, you might be interested in checking out my other posts, as I write from a perspective that integrates economics and evolutionary theory.
I am about 20 percent of the way into this book and I know it’s going to be one of the pieces I have ever read already. The scope of what the text is endeavoring to do, the sheer ambition, is worthy of recognition alone.
I cannot remember who recommended this book to me, but it very much aligns with what I am doing with Pathways of Progress: to understand human progress from the standpoint of the physical laws that govern the universe.
This understanding in hand, it will help us direct the future of humanity in the right direction.
In Pathways, I accept that the second law of thermodynamics is the driving force behind chemical evolution, and later, biological evolution. It is also the driving force as to why humans developed cultural evolution; the ability to pass knowledge without waiting on slower genetic recombination.
We are agents acting in accordance with entropy, dissipating energy by creating counter-entropic forms that we call “technology.”
Truly a fascinating thing to think about, eventually it all “clicks” together.
Does this book take describe evolutionary science in a modern way? Or is it the old-fashioned one that you often read about in Evo psych? Like the developmental evolutionary perspective of biology?
Not sure what you have exactly in mind, but Michael's take is very much "modern" with in particular a focus on cultural evolution.
I have noticed that discussions in Evo psych often revolve around the more classical evolutionary biology, pre 1960 and so on. No or few discussions of how gene expressions, epigenetics, development over time, stochastic variation and so play a role in human evolution. I am going to read this book though. Seems very fascinating.
My experience with good modern evolutionary psychology (we have a strong group at UQ) is that they are quite attuned to modern genetics.
Can you share their university oroject/group page?
Brendan is the group leader: https://psychology.uq.edu.au/profile/2404/brendan-zietsch
You might find this paper particularly interesting
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:2ca864e
Thanks for sharing this. I took a rather different view in Human Ethology:
https://human-ethology.org/article/117456-not-quite-a-theory-of-everyone
Hi Tom, thanks for pointing out your review. Thought-provoking take. As indicated in my review, I enjoyed Michael's book, but I found your criticism engaging. Thanks also for reaching out—it gave me a chance to learn more about your research, which I found compelling! Despite our differing views here, you might be interested in checking out my other posts, as I write from a perspective that integrates economics and evolutionary theory.
I shall do just that. Thank you. More from me later.
Lionel , thank you for sharing this.
I am about 20 percent of the way into this book and I know it’s going to be one of the pieces I have ever read already. The scope of what the text is endeavoring to do, the sheer ambition, is worthy of recognition alone.
I cannot remember who recommended this book to me, but it very much aligns with what I am doing with Pathways of Progress: to understand human progress from the standpoint of the physical laws that govern the universe.
This understanding in hand, it will help us direct the future of humanity in the right direction.
In Pathways, I accept that the second law of thermodynamics is the driving force behind chemical evolution, and later, biological evolution. It is also the driving force as to why humans developed cultural evolution; the ability to pass knowledge without waiting on slower genetic recombination.
We are agents acting in accordance with entropy, dissipating energy by creating counter-entropic forms that we call “technology.”
Truly a fascinating thing to think about, eventually it all “clicks” together.
Glad you liked it!
Michael is writing a policy book that will build on these insights.
A nice blurb for the preoccupied….
Agree that what science is really lacking now is a central coherence.
Information rather than energy is the central driver.