loader from loading.io

Evolving Toward a Better Future with David Sloan Wilson

AMSEcast

Release Date: 08/28/2024

Getting the Most Out of Getting Older with Dr. Aditi Gurkar show art Getting the Most Out of Getting Older with Dr. Aditi Gurkar

AMSEcast

Alan Lowe interviews Dr. Aditi Gurkar, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Aging Institute. Dr. Gurkar discusses her transition from medical doctor to becoming a leading researcher in aging, driven by her grandfather’s cancer diagnosis. She explains the critical difference between chronological and biological age, highlighting how aging impacts both physical and functional health. Dr. Gurkar also emphasizes the importance of early healthy habits, the value of in-person social connections, and the potential for delaying biological aging through targeted interventions while...

info_outline AMSE Science Report with guest John Butterworth show art AMSE Science Report with guest John Butterworth

AMSEcast

Noted physicist John Butterworth discusses the world of particle physics, including the findings made in recent years regarding the Higgs Boson.  Here’s Jon explaining what the Higgs Boson is.

info_outline AMSE Science Report with guest Kate Winkler Dawson show art AMSE Science Report with guest Kate Winkler Dawson

AMSEcast

Kate Winkler Dawson, author of American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI is an amazing resource. The Sherlock she is talking about is the incredible Oscar Heinrich who utilized for the first time many of the forensic tools and methods we know today. Kate noted that when Heinrich first started using those tools they were not trusted by many people, including those serving on juries.

info_outline AMSE Science Report with guest author Andy Weir show art AMSE Science Report with guest author Andy Weir

AMSEcast

Noted sci-fi writer, Andy Weir, author of books such as The Martian, Project Hail Mary, and Artemis discusses which science fiction writers had influenced him the most. 

info_outline AMSE Science Report with Author Andrew Knoll show art AMSE Science Report with Author Andrew Knoll

AMSEcast

Andrew Knoll talks about his terrific book, A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters.  To start I asked Andy to explain how we know our planet came into existence about 4.6 billion years ago.  He explained how that is calculated using meteorites and an element we know a lot about in Oak Ridge, Uranium. 

info_outline AMSE Science Report with guest Guru Madhavan show art AMSE Science Report with guest Guru Madhavan

AMSEcast

I recently spoke with my good friend, Guru Madhavan, on our podcast, AMSEcast. Guru, the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and Senior Director of Programs at the National Academy of Engineering, was in Oak Ridge to accept the AMSE Foundation’s inaugural National Award of Excellence given at our annual Gala. In our conversation we focused on his newest book titled Wicked Problems: How to Engineer A Better World.

info_outline Evolving Toward a Better Future with David Sloan Wilson show art Evolving Toward a Better Future with David Sloan Wilson

AMSEcast

Alan talks with David Sloan Wilson, renowned biologist and author, to explore the broader applications of Darwin's theory beyond genetics to cultural and personal evolution. Wilson argues against conflating evolution with Social Darwinism and highlights cooperation as a crucial trait for societal progress. He emphasizes the need for experimental and inclusive decision-making and discusses how failure drives improvement, the impact of cultural interventions, and the role of religion in fostering community. Wilson also critiques traditional economic models and explains his aim to integrate...

info_outline STEM of History: Sam Kean show art STEM of History: Sam Kean

AMSEcast

In this episode, Mr. Lowe interviews Mr. Kean about his 2010 book, The Disappearing Spoon: and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. Mr. Kean begins by deciphering the complex origins of the table in the 1860s and early 1870s and perfected by Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev.  Since its development and evolution over the past 150 years, the Periodic Table of the Elements continues to be one of the most important achievements to science.  This conversation helps illustrate the usefulness of understanding the basic...

info_outline AMSE Science Report with Giulio Boccaletti show art AMSE Science Report with Giulio Boccaletti

AMSEcast

In this Science Report we speak with Giulio Boccaletti about his book, Water: A Biography which shows how water has helped shape our lives and our civilizations. This has always been the case as seen vividly in the example of ancient Egypt and the mighty Nile River.

info_outline AMSE Science Report with Jon Gertner show art AMSE Science Report with Jon Gertner

AMSEcast

Our home of Oak Ridge, and indeed all East Tennessee, is a hotbed of innovation. To learn more about the history of innovation and how it has been cultivated in the past, I spoke on our podcast, AMSEcast, with Jon Gertner about his book, The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation. We discussed some of the amazing breakthroughs that Bell Labs produced - just to name a few, those included the transistor, semiconductors, integrated circuits, lasers, photovoltaic cells, fiber optic and satellite communications, even modern information theory. Jon shared how Bell Labs...

info_outline
 
More Episodes
Alan talks with David Sloan Wilson, renowned biologist and author, to explore the broader applications of Darwin's theory beyond genetics to cultural and personal evolution. Wilson argues against conflating evolution with Social Darwinism and highlights cooperation as a crucial trait for societal progress. He emphasizes the need for experimental and inclusive decision-making and discusses how failure drives improvement, the impact of cultural interventions, and the role of religion in fostering community. Wilson also critiques traditional economic models and explains his aim to integrate evolutionary science into global cooperation.
 
 
Guest Bio
David Sloan Wilson is a distinguished evolutionary biologist with a doctorate from Michigan State University. His impressive academic career spans institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Washington, and the State University of New York Binghamton, where he is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus. David founded the Evolution Institute and co-founded the nonprofit ProSocial World, including the New Paradigm Coalition Initiative. He is an award-winning author known for his influential works, including This View of Life, Evolution for Everyone, The Neighborhood Project, and his novel Atlas Hugged. David’s research and writing explore the applications of evolutionary theory to society and culture.
 
 
Show Notes
  • (2:21) - What the evolution paradigm is
  • (4:22) - How the evolution paradigm is seen in cultures and how it differs from Social Darwinism
  • (6:56) - The special conditions necessary for the evolution paradigm to be effective
  • (11:51) - The importance of a common goal for cooperation to work when people have conflicting opinions
  • (14:11) - How failure is handled under the evolution paradigm
  • (16:16) - Applying the evolution paradigm to education
  • (26:17) - How the evolution paradigm applies to faith and religion
  • (37:13) - How the cooperative approach works when it comes to national economics
  • (39:20) - How individuals express themselves when they don’t agree with the larger group
  • (44:07) - Wilson’s novel, Atlas Hugged

 

Links Referenced