#085 - Professor Nicholas Christakis - How Evolution Shaped Our Societies

Adrian Tchaikovsky

I highly recommend children of time by adrian tchaikovsky was uh I think pulitzer prize award or some some crazy big prize award.

Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society

Dr. Robin Dunbar

So the number of people we can do this with is about 150.

So one of the things I'm concerned about is the ways in which these new technologies in the future are going to reshape our social interactions.

Guest: Nicholas Christakis

Episode summary

Nicholas Christakis is a Professor at Yale University and an author. Much of what I've covered on the podcast has focussed on evolution's effects on the individual, but today we look at how evolution has shaped us as a collective. Expect to learn... Why is it that we live in groups? Why can we (mostly) rely on the person we're talking to to not lie to us, or kill us on sight? Why can we recognise different faces so effectively? And why do we even have different faces in the first place? Extra Stuff: Sign Up to Audible for a Free 30 Day Trial - https://amzn.to/2IQfiVS Buy Professor Christakis' Book - https://amzn.to/2Jac5iH Follow Professor Christakis on Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAChristakis Check out Professor Christakis' Lab - www.humannaturelab.net Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

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Adrian Tchaikovsky

The host mentions 'Children of Time' to illustrate the imaginative possibilities of social evolution in science ficti…

Dr. Robin Dunbar

The host discusses the concept of Dunbar's number to illustrate the limits of human social relationships and how they…

Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society

The host discusses the implications of emerging technologies, particularly autonomous vehicles, on social behavior an…

The Laws of Human Nature

Robert Greene

The host discusses the importance of recognizing both the positive and negative aspects of human nature, referencing…

impact of technology on society(1)science fiction social orders(1)social network dynamics(1)understanding human nature(1)

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The conversation centers on impact of technology on society.
A second recurring theme is science fiction social orders.
Referenced books include Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Dunbar's number by Dr. Robin Dunbar.
The strongest audience signal points to Readers interested in science fiction and social theory and Individuals interested in sociology and anthropology.

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Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Dunbar's number by Dr. Robin Dunbar, and Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Deep Dive(3)Highly Recommended(1)

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Readers interested in science fiction and social theoryIndividuals interested in sociology and anthropologyIndividuals interested in technology's impact on societyIndividuals interested in psychology and social dynamics

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Best for Readers interested in science fiction and social theoryOften cited around science fiction social orders

“The book explores a future civilization where genetically modified primates are sent to a habitable planet, but only spiders and ants survive to evolve. It discusses biological technology and the evolution of species.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: science fiction social orders

For: Readers interested in science fiction and social theory

Key quote: “I highly recommend children of time by adrian tchaikovsky was uh I think pulitzer prize award or some some crazy big prize award.”

The host mentions 'Children of Time' to illustrate the imaginative possibilities of social evolution in science fiction. They highlight the book's unique premise of genetic engineering and its implications for future civilizations.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Dr. Robin Dunbar

Best for Individuals interested in sociology and anthropologyOften cited around social network dynamics

“Dunbar's number is the supposed upper limits that a human can have in terms of friends, with Robin Dunbar being a famous physical anthropologist known for this finding.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: social network dynamics

For: Individuals interested in sociology and anthropology

Key quote: “So the number of people we can do this with is about 150.”

The host discusses the concept of Dunbar's number to illustrate the limits of human social relationships and how they relate to epidemic spread in different network structures. This book is referenced to highlight the significance of social connections and their implications for understanding human behavior and social organization.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society

Best for Individuals interested in technology's impact on societyOften cited around impact of technology on society

“The speaker mentions their book 'Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society', which is available everywhere.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: impact of technology on society

For: Individuals interested in technology's impact on society

Key quote: “So one of the things I'm concerned about is the ways in which these new technologies in the future are going to reshape our social interactions.”

The host discusses the implications of emerging technologies, particularly autonomous vehicles, on social behavior and interactions. This leads to a mention of the book 'Blueprint' as a resource for understanding the evolutionary basis of societal good amidst these changes.

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The Laws of Human Nature

Robert Greene

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and social dynamicsOften cited around understanding human nature

“Recently had Robert Greene on the laws of human nature.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: understanding human nature

For: Individuals interested in psychology and social dynamics

Key quote: “if you have brilliance in the world. You can be as talented as you want. But without the ability to understand others. And communicate effectively. You will neutralize your brilliance.”

The host discusses the importance of recognizing both the positive and negative aspects of human nature, referencing Robert Greene's insights from his book. Greene emphasizes that without the ability to understand and communicate with others, one's talents may lead to a life of pain and misery.

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Children of Time

Modern Wisdom · 14:19

I highly recommend children of time by adrian tchaikovsky was uh I think pulitzer prize award or some some crazy big prize award.

Dunbar's number

Modern Wisdom · 43:12

So the number of people we can do this with is about 150.

Blueprint, The Evolutionary Origin of a Good Society

Modern Wisdom · 51:19

So one of the things I'm concerned about is the ways in which these new technologies in the future are going to reshape our social interactions.

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Mentioned at 14:19

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Adrian Tchaikovsky

The host mentions 'Children of Time' to illustrate the imaginative possibilities of social evolution in science fiction. They highlight the book's…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 43:12