Managing our Managing our Ancestral Brain in a Ancestral Brain in a

Troubled WorldTroubled World::Musings from an Musings from an

Unrepentant, but Reformed Unrepentant, but Reformed Sociobiologist Sociobiologist

3

Managing the Results of Managing the Results of Brain ActionBrain Action

Complexity of the brain 10 billion neurons

Point of view Altruism - self destructive behaviour

performed for the benefit of others. How should we study the brain to

help manage its actions? History and information processing tools

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At length, however, there came into existence a being in whom that subtle force we term mind, became of greater importance than his mere bodily structure…Though unable to compete with the deer in swiftness, or with the wild bull in strength, this gave him weapons with which to capture or overcome both. . . .From the moment when the first skin was used as covering, when the first rude spear was formed to assist in the chase, the first seed sown or shoot planted, a grand revolution was in effect in nature...for a being had arisen who was no longer necessarily subject to change with the changing universe.

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“Advantages” of this view:

•Divorces us from our primate heritage•Distances us from behaviours we don’t like•Simplifies research•Makes us special•Religion, god, complexity theory, memes, . . .

Alfred Russell Wallace: Co-Alfred Russell Wallace: Co-inventor of the Theory of inventor of the Theory of

EvolutionEvolution

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Darwin “You haveDarwin “You have murdered our murdered our

childchild”” Man with all his noble qualities, with Man with all his noble qualities, with

sympathy that feels for the most debased, sympathy that feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to with benevolence which extends not only to other men but to the humblest of living other men but to the humblest of living creatures, with his god-like intellect which creatures, with his god-like intellect which has penetrated into the movements and has penetrated into the movements and constitution of the solar system—with all constitution of the solar system—with all these exalted powers—still bears in his these exalted powers—still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin. (Charles Darwin, Descent of lowly origin. (Charles Darwin, Descent of Man, 1871)Man, 1871)

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State of Nature

999 aspirins +one cyanide 999 cyanide +

one aspirin

Question: How much must I pay you to take a tablet from the bottle?

Tools for survival and

reproduction

Tools for humans

•Identifying kinsmen

•Trading favours

•Fighting for dominance

•Learning language

•Displaying dominance and health

•Deceiving ourselves as an aid in

deceiving others

•Manipulating friends and enemies

in our own interest

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Male Scorpionfly Male Scorpionfly MatingMating

Dead insect + Dead insect + courtshipcourtship

Proteinaceous mass Proteinaceous mass + courtship+ courtship

Attempted forcible Attempted forcible matingmating

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Environment

(male-male competition)

Low

Medium

High

Mating Tactic

Geneticallyinnate"mental"mechanism

Dead insect + courtship

Proteinaceous mass + courtship

Attempted forced copulation

h2 = 0

Scorpionfly Mating Tactics and

Environmental Conditions

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What is Going onHere?

Ten Year Old Girl Blind/Deaf from BirthNeutral Smiling

Crying

Infinitesimal segment of evolutionary time

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Evolutionary PsychologyEvolutionary Psychology

Problems humans encountered in the EEAProblems humans encountered in the EEA Finding high quality matesFinding high quality mates Avoiding brother-sister incestAvoiding brother-sister incest Forming reciprocal social relationshipForming reciprocal social relationship

Psychological adaptations that evolved to help solve Psychological adaptations that evolved to help solve those problemsthose problems Assessing Waist-to-hip ratio/body symmetryAssessing Waist-to-hip ratio/body symmetry Lack of sexual attraction to childhood intimatesLack of sexual attraction to childhood intimates Detecting cheaters on social contractsDetecting cheaters on social contracts

The way those adaptations function nowThe way those adaptations function now Women in advertisements, TV, & moviesWomen in advertisements, TV, & movies Lack of sexual attraction to kibbutz mates/Sexual attraction Lack of sexual attraction to kibbutz mates/Sexual attraction

to siblings reared apart from infancyto siblings reared apart from infancy Difficulties in making free trade & Medicare workDifficulties in making free trade & Medicare work

Adaptation functioning: Then and now

Now: Contribution to well being

Adaptive-culturallyvariable

Then: Contributionto fitness

Yes

Yes

No

No

Pseudopathologies

Quasinormalbehaviours

Truepathologies

Adaptive -culturally Adaptive -culturally variablevariableAthletic sportsAthletic sportsWarWarGossipGossipCourtship ritualsCourtship ritualsFavouring kinFavouring kinReciprocal exchangesReciprocal exchangesSelf deception

Pseudo-pathologiesPseudo-pathologiesSugar & fat causing obesitySugar & fat causing obesityAnorexic behaviourAnorexic behaviourExchange of resources for Exchange of resources for sex caused prostitutionsex caused prostitutionSexual jealousy caused wife Sexual jealousy caused wife abuseabuseMoth flying into candle Moth flying into candle flameflame

Quasi-normal Quasi-normal SmokingSmokingTrue altruismTrue altruismFemale infantryFemale infantryEquality of sexesFree speechFree speechOur medical care systemOur medical care system

True pathologiesTrue pathologiesBrother-sister incestBrother-sister incestAutismAutismSchizophreniaSchizophreniaBrain damage caused Brain damage caused memory lossmemory lossScurvy

Now

Then

Yes

No

Yes No

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Ancestralization Ancestralization

As economic and political conditions in a As economic and political conditions in a society liberalize there will be a tendency to society liberalize there will be a tendency to return to ancestral ways of functioning. return to ancestral ways of functioning.

Examples:Examples: Polygyny is returningPolygyny is returning Hunter gatherer-like wars break out when great Hunter gatherer-like wars break out when great

empires disintegrateempires disintegrate Primitive religion (e.g. Whale worship) is making Primitive religion (e.g. Whale worship) is making

a come backa come back Reason: Tools have a motivational Reason: Tools have a motivational

componentcomponent

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Environment

(male-male competition)

Low

Medium

High

Mating Tactic

Geneticallyinnate"mental"mechanism

Dead insect + courtship

Proteinaceous mass + courtship

Attempted forced copulation

h2 = 0

Scorpionfly Mating Tactics and

Environmental Conditions

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Unrepentant, but Unrepentant, but Reformed SociobiologistReformed Sociobiologist

Unrepentant - evolutionary history Unrepentant - evolutionary history and reproduction fundamental to and reproduction fundamental to understand human understand human behaviourbehaviour

Reformed - We must continue to Reformed - We must continue to develop better methods of doing develop better methods of doing sociobiologysociobiology

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Toleraters, Encouragers, Toleraters, Encouragers, and Collaboratorsand Collaborators

Judith Anderson, Sally Walters, Judith Anderson, Sally Walters, Maria Janicki, Catherine Salmon,Maria Janicki, Catherine Salmon,Windy Brown, Larry Dill, Laura Dane, Windy Brown, Larry Dill, Laura Dane, Dennis Krebs, Bruce Alexander,Dennis Krebs, Bruce Alexander, Ron Ydenberg, Marilyn Bowman, Ron Ydenberg, Marilyn Bowman, ,Mark Johnston, Karina Jolin,,Mark Johnston, Karina Jolin,Tracy Lindberg …Tracy Lindberg …

Brenda Taylor; Harassment officerBrenda Taylor; Harassment officerUnknown university officials Unknown university officials