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Welcome to the Hardcore Husky Forums. Folks who are well-known in Cyberland and not that dumb.

Book likely to be very good

David Sloan Wilson is the shit. If you are interested in how cutting edge evolutionary biology applies to societies and is not a bunch of PC-bullshit or neo-Darwinian racism bullshit (like Jordan Peterfuck) or faggy both-sidesism like Jon Haidt's (smart but) sell-out ass... you might enjoy someone who is fucking brilliant, changed our understanding of evolution and is now thinking carefully about how it applies to all levels of problems...

He's fucking smart.

Comments

  • YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 33,796
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    So reading is kind of hard for us non-ivory tower intellectual types. Is there some sort of TED talk or something on the U tube where a layman can get the gist?
  • YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 33,796
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxQuK6UHzY

    Basically this is the best I could do for 'short form' - it's an hour.

    Here's the point - organisms are groups of individuals (cells, genes, etc) and they are selected at many levels at the same time...

    Let me give you an example with simple hypotheticals:

    Say there was a gene that made you hotter: that gene would be selected for individually because it would get you more kids. The specific gene would (though it wouldn't if you were a fucking incel like @CokeGreaterThanPepsi).

    Say that a bunch of genes team together to produce a neural circuit that understands concepts like 'that chick would fuck me' (no individual gene can understand the over-arching concept by itself) - that circuit can be selected for (the genes will be 'back-selected' in that, those genes will be forwarded in a way AS IF they were selected, but it's only because they are a part of the circuit).

    The idea is that - on whatever level a selection pressure (i.e., the ability to have more grandkids) can exist (say human groups are more cohesive and produce better economies like the protestants did in Geneva - see DSW's book 'Darwin's Cathedral') there can be selection for that level (religiousness; and every component level -> religiosity, the brain circuits involved, the genes involved) and that will bring along something that looks like gene selection for the genes.

    One of DSW's main points is that Selfish Individuals out-compete cooperative individuals on a one-on-one basis very often. However, cooperative groups out-compete selfish groups.

    So a group of cooperative people will always outcompete a group of selfish individuals. There is a lot of math, simulations, experiment and modeling that went into these findings as this has been a HOTLY contested area for the last 45 years. So it's not just 'his opinion'.

    But the idea is that the body is a good parable - things like hearts and lungs can be selected for at the level of their emergent cooperation (the genes that make them don't know they are cooperating, but they are and the produce something emergent that is very important on a systems-level).

    This has a lot of really important implications for society...

    The bottom line is:

    1. work to make sure all merit has an opportunity to flourish.
    2. Fight corruption desperately.
    3. Great things require cooperative systems.
    4. It is sadly easy to destroy complex systems with selfish actions (the dark side of the force is more powerful instantly, the light side makes everything go; or it's easier to destroy a TV by throwing a phone into it and getting temporary fear from species in the room, dogs, say - than it is to build a phone or TV and humans benefit tremendously from the complex systems that generate phones and TVs).

    Any questions please feel free... @Swaye @YellowSnow @MisterEm

    As a Sam Harris loving, militant atheist, you've made me pay a bit more attention to religion as being selected for. I am thankful everyday for my Engrish, Swedish and North German prot ancestors.

    1. work to make sure all merit has an opportunity to flourish.
    2. Fight corruption desperately.
    3. Great things require cooperative systems.


    Sounds like a pretty good party platform to me. Do you want to be my running mate in 2020?


  • YellowSnowYellowSnow Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 33,796
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Up Votes Combo Breaker
    Swaye's Wigwam

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxQuK6UHzY

    Basically this is the best I could do for 'short form' - it's an hour.

    Here's the point - organisms are groups of individuals (cells, genes, etc) and they are selected at many levels at the same time...

    Let me give you an example with simple hypotheticals:

    Say there was a gene that made you hotter: that gene would be selected for individually because it would get you more kids. The specific gene would (though it wouldn't if you were a fucking incel like @CokeGreaterThanPepsi).

    Say that a bunch of genes team together to produce a neural circuit that understands concepts like 'that chick would fuck me' (no individual gene can understand the over-arching concept by itself) - that circuit can be selected for (the genes will be 'back-selected' in that, those genes will be forwarded in a way AS IF they were selected, but it's only because they are a part of the circuit).

    The idea is that - on whatever level a selection pressure (i.e., the ability to have more grandkids) can exist (say human groups are more cohesive and produce better economies like the protestants did in Geneva - see DSW's book 'Darwin's Cathedral') there can be selection for that level (religiousness; and every component level -> religiosity, the brain circuits involved, the genes involved) and that will bring along something that looks like gene selection for the genes.

    One of DSW's main points is that Selfish Individuals out-compete cooperative individuals on a one-on-one basis very often. However, cooperative groups out-compete selfish groups.

    So a group of cooperative people will always outcompete a group of selfish individuals. There is a lot of math, simulations, experiment and modeling that went into these findings as this has been a HOTLY contested area for the last 45 years. So it's not just 'his opinion'.

    But the idea is that the body is a good parable - things like hearts and lungs can be selected for at the level of their emergent cooperation (the genes that make them don't know they are cooperating, but they are and the produce something emergent that is very important on a systems-level).

    This has a lot of really important implications for society...

    The bottom line is:

    1. work to make sure all merit has an opportunity to flourish.
    2. Fight corruption desperately.
    3. Great things require cooperative systems.
    4. It is sadly easy to destroy complex systems with selfish actions (the dark side of the force is more powerful instantly, the light side makes everything go; or it's easier to destroy a TV by throwing a phone into it and getting temporary fear from species in the room, dogs, say - than it is to build a phone or TV and humans benefit tremendously from the complex systems that generate phones and TVs).

    Any questions please feel free... @Swaye @YellowSnow @MisterEm

    I started listening. IFL love this shit. Take that you FS Slackers @swaye and @Dennis_DeYoung !! My group of slow strategy solid citizens will win in the long run and have more fancy watches.
  • Fenderbender123Fenderbender123 Member Posts: 2,850
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    I like those books where every page is just a big picture and you have to find Waldo somewhere in it.
  • DerekJohnsonDerekJohnson Administrator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 59,711
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    Surprised and disappointed that you consider Jordan Peterson a racist.
  • Mad_SonMad_Son Member Posts: 10,075
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    Surprised and disappointed that you consider Jordan Peterson a racist.

    Agreed. It's simply a fact that white people are better than everyone else.
  • HillsboroDuckHillsboroDuck Member Posts: 9,186
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    Surprised and disappointed that you consider Jordan Peterson a racist.

    I'm surprised you're surprised.
  • DerekJohnsonDerekJohnson Administrator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 59,711
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    Founders Club

    Surprised and disappointed that you consider Jordan Peterson a racist.

    I'm surprised you're surprised.
    I figured that would be DDY's response
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