Mark Pagel
Mark Pagel
Mark David Pagel FRS is a Professor and head of the Evolutionary Biology Group at the University of Reading...
ProfessionScientist
allow area cultural cultures desire driving environment force forming great groups insofar large numbers per regions separating splitting unit
I think the driving force for cultural evolution is this desire for groups to be splitting off and separating and forming subgroups insofar as the environment will allow it. We see great cultural diversity and large numbers of cultures per unit area in regions of the world in which the environment is really rich.
brains humans possible terms themselves
Humans like to think of themselves as unusual. We've got big brains that make it possible for us to think, and we think that we have free will and that our behavior can't be described by some mechanistic set of theorems or ideas. But even in terms of much of our behavior, we really aren't very different from other animals.
cultural human languages range
Human cultural diversity is vast; the range of cultural practices, beliefs, and languages that we speak is vast.
acquires animal genes knowledge living means pass rather rules
Having culture means we are the only animal that acquires the rules of its daily living from the accumulated knowledge of our ancestors, rather than from the genes they pass to us.
accept coming control culture embrace exercise form knowing mind willingly worked
Culture has worked by coming to exercise a form of mind control over us. We willingly accept and even embrace this mind control, and probably without even knowing it.
ancestors greedy
You and I probably wouldn't be here if our ancestors hadn't been greedy savages.
among arms best brains conflicts engaged interest less owe race social
We owe our big brains less to inventiveness than to conflicts of interest among social minds engaged in an arms race to be the best at manipulating others.
powerful technology talking
Each of you possesses the most powerful, dangerous and subversive trait that natural selection has ever devised. It's a piece of neural audio technology for rewiring other people's minds. I'm talking about your language.
knowing mind accepting
We willingly accept and even embrace this mind control, and probably without even knowing it.
motivation inspiration destiny
It might be inevitable that we have to confront the idea that our destiny is to be one world with one language.
mind brain language
[Language allows you] to implant a thought from your mind directly into someone else's mind, and they can attempt to do the same to you, without either of you having to perform surgery.
pride groups emotion
It is an emotion that makes us act as if for the good of the group; an emotion that brings pleasure, pride, or even thrills from coordinated group activity.
begin desire drives groups number people separation single time within
What drives the separation of groups of people into subgroups is the desire to control resources. We begin with a single culture, and over time the number of individuals within that culture expands.