Join me Tuesday with authors J. Arvid Agren and Manus M. Patten for the launch of their book The Paradox of the Organism: Adaptation and Internal Conflict.

The AI safety conversation focuses on alignment, making powerful systems do what we want. But what if that’s the wrong question? What if the issue isn’t controlling one system, but cultivating healthy ecosystems?

You’re sitting down to eat some greasy pizza - what sounds good to drink with it? If you’re thinking about reaching for a beer, you’re not alone. Beer and pizza go together like… well, beer and pizza.

Right now the AI ecosystem looks like fast colonization of a new habitat: resources suddenly opened up, competition intense, survival uncertain, and the whole landscape reshaped faster than anyone can track.

The AI safety conversation focuses on alignment, making powerful systems do what we want. But what if that’s the wrong question? What if the issue isn’t controlling one system, but cultivating healthy ecosystems? substack.com/home/post/p-...

The full Human Energy Global Salon Series “Alignment for a Major Evolutionary Transition: The Future of Humanity and AI” is now on YT: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kmv... We had an incredible discussion and hope you weigh in as well! 👇

AI systems - especially self-training systems - are built on recursion. They update themselves based on feedback. They generate variation. They propagate internal patterns across training cycles. In other words, they provide everything evolution needs to get going.

I talked to Human Energy about the topics I’ll be discussing this evening during the Global Salon Series panel. Check out the link to join the conversation that starts at 7 pm pst! www.youtube.com/live/73om6Pw...

I'm thrilled to share that I'll be joining the Global Salon Series tonight in San Francisco for a panel discussion titled “Alignment for a Major Evolutionary Transition: The Future of Humanity and AI.” Livestream starts at 7pm pst: youtube.com/live/73om6Pw...

I’ve spent my career studying cooperation and looking for general principles that apply across systems. Lately, I’ve been turning my attention to AI, thinking about the ways that cooperation science can help us navigate what is probably the most critical challenge of our time.

I started a Substack called Not For Peer Review. I’ve filled my notebooks with ideas, many of which have inspired my articles and books. But there are so many ideas that I haven’t published, and, if I’m being honest with myself, I know I will never publish through the traditional peer review system.

I’m honored to share that I’ll be joining the Global Salon Series this Tuesday in San Francisco for a panel discussion titled “Alignment for a Major Evolutionary Transition: The Future of Humanity and AI.”

💞 Friendship isn’t about keeping score. It’s about helping when it counts. In our new The Conversation article, @jessicadayers.bsky.social & I explore why true friendship works like risk-pooling, not exchange. Read here 👉 doi.org/10.64628/AAI... #Friendship #Psychology

🧠🔥 Join us at #ZAMM2025! Got a theory too wild for peer review? A study too ambitious to fund? Pitch it at Extreme Experiments & Unhinged Hypotheses — 5-min lightning talks where imagination rules. Submit here 👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🚨 Call for Wild Ideas 🚨 Got a theory too bold for a grant? A study so extreme it borders sci-fi? Pitch it at Extreme Experiments & Unhinged Hypotheses—5-min lightning talks at #ZAMM2025. Submit here 👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... More info: zombiemed.org

🚨 Antibiotic resistance isn’t inevitable. National-level action works, but it has to be consistent and well-supported. Our study shows that even incremental improvements can reduce antibiotic resistance trends. journals.plos.org/globalpublic... #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy #AMR

The next Research Ideation Lunch: Apocalypse Pop-Up Café is Mon, Nov 17. We’ll explore the future of AI in business, education, health, supply chains & finance. Apocalypse Cafés = playful spaces to spark ideas, build trust & collaborations. #AI #Research #Collaboration #WPCResearch

🔍 We review how organisms—from bacteria to parasites—interfere with pain systems, and what it means for: ⚕️ Public health 🧪 Infectious disease 💊 Pain treatment and management onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #Neurobiology #GlobalHealth

What happens when everything falls apart? 🌍 Join me for the W. P. Carey Research Ideation: Apocalypse Pop-Up Café on Sept 9, 11:30–1:00 @ ASU. Let’s rethink business + resilience in uncertain times. RSVP 👉 www.eventbrite.com/e/research-i...

Can shared faith help people cooperate on something as complex as health care? In the U.S., health care sharing ministries (HCSMs) offer a powerful real-world example of how religion can facilitate cooperation. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... #Religion #Cooperation #HealthCare

Fitness interdependence can unify insights from psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology—offering a framework to solve long-standing puzzles of human cooperation. #Cooperation #HumanSociality #EvolutionaryTheory

Your child may live in you forever—literally. Fetal cells can stay in a mother’s body for decades. But do they help or hurt? Our paper uses evolutionary conflict theory to explore how fetal microchimerism affects maternal health. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

What is shame for? It’s not just a social emotion—it’s an evolved defense mechanism against being devalued by others. New cross-cultural research shows shame works the same way across the globe. www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #EvolutionaryPsychology #Emotions #Anthropology

Why do we get cancer? It’s not just bad luck—it’s evolution. This special issue explores how evolutionary biology is reshaping our understanding of cancer: why it exists, how it grows, and what we can do about it. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #CancerEvolution #Oncology

What if tumors evolve like ecosystems? We applied life history theory to cancer to explain why tumor cells show such diverse behaviors—from rapid growth to quiet dormancy. #CancerEvolution #LifeHistoryTheory www.nature.com/articles/nrc...

Can you hear a fake laugh? Turns out: yes, you can. Our research shows that people can reliably distinguish spontaneous laughter from volitional (fake) laughter, and that each type has unique acoustic signatures. #Laughter #SocialSignals #CognitiveScience www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Abstract submission for ZAMM2025 closes next week (July 15)! Abstract submission is open for all topics related to zombies, the apocalypse, and anything related to our theme for this year. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

What if there’s no such thing as a unified “self”? According to a modular view of the mind, what we call the “self” is really a collection of specialized systems, each shaped by evolution to navigate a messy social world. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1... #CognitiveScience #ModularMind

Great conversation with Clay Routledge about my book A Field Guide to the Apocalypse. Humans evolved to be resilient through cooperation, creativity & curiosity. We can thrive, even in turbulent times. profectusmag.com/adapted-for-... #ApocalypsePreparedness #HumanFlourishing #Cooperation

Cooperation doesn't always need complex cognition. Just leaving bad partners behind can be enough to make cooperation evolve. Sometimes, walking away is an evolutionary superpower. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #Evolution #Cooperation #BehavioralEcology

Not all tumors evolve the same way. Our paper proposes a new framework to classify tumors based on how they evolve and the ecosystems they are embedded in. Say hello to the Evo-Eco Index! www.nature.com/articles/nrc... #CancerEvolution #Oncology #PrecisionMedicine

Cancer is not an anomaly - it’s a risk inherent in being multicellular. By studying it as broken cooperation, we gain a deeper understanding of its nature and how to fight it. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... #EvoDevo #Multicellularity #Biomedicine

What do dancing, drumming & talking have in common? They all rely on entrainment, our ability to sync with rhythmic patterns. Our paper offers a unifying framework across domains: music, movement, communication, & evolution. #Entrainment #Rhythm online.ucpress.edu/mp/article-a...

What if your food cravings aren’t your cravings? Our paper explores how gut microbes may hijack your brain to get the food they want. Yes, your microbes might be manipulating you. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #Microbiome #GutBrainAxis #FoodCravings

Excited to be featured in Templeton Ideas - the article dives into my work on cooperation, risk sharing, and why we need to teach collaboration as a core human skill. www.templeton.org/news/houston... #Cooperation #RiskSharing

Our paper highlights the power & complexity of cancer heterogeneity: we analyzed 1,165 tumor exomes across 12 cancer types using EXPANDS & PyClone. 86% of tumors had ≥2 clones. Intratumor heterogeneity is the rule, not the exception. #CancerResearch www.nature.com/articles/nm....

I thought I was extremely lucky - then, a flicker. Something floated up from my subconscious: My mom’s autopsy report. My essay about the secret my mom took with her to the grave, and how learning it changed my life. https://www.transformationnarratives.com/blog/2020/05/28/the-secret-she-never-knew

Excited to keynote IT@UofT Transforming Tomorrow conference at the University of Toronto this Thursday! Amid pandemics, climate change & AI advances, many doubt our resilience. Yet history shows humans repeatedly adapt to existential threats. https://conference2025.its.utoronto.ca/schedule/speakers/

Join me this Thursday 4/17 at @exploratorium.bsky.social for After Dark: Resilience — a night of games, performances & interactive exhibits exploring how we navigate uncertainty together. 🎲💡 6–10PM | Pier 15, SF Details: www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calend... #AfterDark #Resilience #Exploratorium

Grateful for this thoughtful review of A Field Guide to the Apocalypse by Tal Gur of Elevate Society: “A reassuring and insightful perspective… fosters a sense of empowerment and optimism.” elevatesociety.com/a-field-guid... #ApocalypseGuide #Resilience #Community #Cooperation

​How do you manage stress in apocalyptic times? 🧠 Gather information 🗣️ Connect with others 🎻 Be adventurous & have fun Had a blast at @harvard.edu giving a talk based on my book A Field Guide to the Apocalypse—complete with bluegrass, laughter & survival strategies. #ApocalypseSurvival

Sponges can survive 60,000 human chest X-rays without developing cancer. Our study shows that Tethya wilhelma is incredibly radioresistant—hinting at powerful, ancient mechanisms for DNA repair & cancer resistance. Could sponges unlock new cancer therapies?

Why do some species suppress cancer into old age? Our study shows how inclusive fitness—through parental care, grandparental support, and cooperative breeding—can drive stronger selection for cancer suppression, even after reproduction ends. #EvolutionaryBiology #CancerResearch

Excited to be featured in @cambridgeday.bsky.social talking about A Field Guide to the Apocalypse and how we can survive wild times 🌍🔥 Hear my talk this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harvard Science Center Hall A (1 Oxford St., Cambridge). Free & open to all! www.cambridgeday.com/2025/03/23/h...

How can risk-pooling systems boost resilience in times of crisis? Our study outlines 7 key principles—from prioritizing unpredictable needs to ensuring transparency and trust—that make these systems effective. #Resilience #RiskManagement #SocialSystems

Evolutionary medicine holds untapped potential to transform biomedicine & public health. From tackling treatment resistance to understanding disease mismatches, its insights can spark innovation & guide policies for a healthier future. #EvolutionaryMedicine #PublicHealth

How well is evolution taught in medical schools? We found progress since 2003, but evolution's coverage still lags behind its importance for health issues like antibiotic resistance. Faculty expertise & resources could bridge the gap. #MedicalEducation #EvolutionaryMedicine

What is the simplest organism that eats socially? Our study shows that Trichoplax adhaerens—lacking nerves or muscles— digest food together, suggesting that sociality is fundamental even in the simplest animals. 🌊🦠 #Evolution #BehavioralEcology #Sociobiology

Can cancer cells cooperate in ways that drive metastasis? Our study reveals how transient cooperation between non-tumorigenic clones and metastatic clones can fuel tumor spread in ovarian cancer. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #CancerResearch #Metastasis #TumorBiology

Can cancer treatment learn from infectious disease strategies? Our research explores the trade-offs between controlling tumors vs. eradicating them, applying insights from infectious disease dynamics. #CancerResearch #EvolutionaryMedicine