Can we subdue them? — It’s a common trope that humans and nature are at odds. That nature is harmonious, balanced, measured, wise and fair, while humans are greedy, evil, stupid, violent, selfish, tribal and reckless. Yet nature is full of horrors. Male lions are known to kill cubs sired by other males. If food…

Potentially deleterious genes are not being selected against — Some people think that, at least in developed countries, the wonders of modern medicine, together with the welfare state and the unprecedented safety and security enjoyed by most, mean that deleterious genes are not being selected against. The idea is that because most people, regardless of the genetic variability that…

If your IQ is way above average… — I recently came across a BBC article about a study purporting to show, as stated in the headline, that “Rocket scientists and brain surgeons aren’t necessarily more clever”. Without going into the methodology of the study, basic common sense should be enough to consider its results suspect. And if one…

My annoying children and a Freudian conjecture — The other day I was watching a movie when my two small children got into a terrible accident. They were both bleeding profusely and started crying for help, imploring in the most plaintive tones that I do something to help them. I couldn’t be bothered, to be honest. The movie…

Are we selfish because our genes are selfish? — Some people seem to believe that no matter how we look at it, we are irredeemably selfish. Often, one of two reasons is given for this. Biological: We’re the result of our selfish genes, so selfishness is embedded in our very nature. Psychological: Behaving virtuously makes us feel good, so…

In a manner of speaking — We hear, read, and think all the time that we humans are deeply flawed. What with our self-deception, selfishness, greed, innumerable biases, etc., how could it be otherwise? Yet sometimes I like to think that we’re perfect. We’re animals, after all, so why would we be any less perfect than…

Should crickets be canceled? — It’s been found that “chivalrous” crickets die to let their female partners go first to safety when a bird has spotted them. How are we to interpret this astonishing behavior? It might well be that the male crickets have just been duped: unaware that gender-stereotypical behaviors derive from mere social…

Entropy and wishful thinking — Entropy can be understood as a measure of disorder and, per the second law of thermodynamics, it tends inexorably to increase in a closed system. …

An atheist’s perspective — It seems to me that, in certain cases, the motivation behind the fervent impulses and extreme actions of some people could be considered praiseworthy, as it could be argued that it reveals integrity, good nature, and an active interest in others. To people who don’t share the beliefs that give…